Snow Fairy
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: Jack and Tooth have done it again! Mystery baby number two makes an unexpected arrival. She may look all cute and innocent, but just you wait until she grows up! :D Sequel to Baby Frost
1. Chapter 1

**This is for Goodorevilangel-your choice as a birthday present, I believe. I'm not sure if it's the character's birthday or yours, so happy birthday if it is! :D**

* * *

They didn't know they were going to have another baby until it arrived.

Jack and Cal had left the Tooth Palace to make snowy mayhem for two hours, returning to find a very confused Sky, Amber and Eve and a very excited April babbling about 'a little snow fairy'.

Two hours.

That wasn't a lot of time, but two hours ago, Cal had been Cal. Now he was big brother Cal.

His new sister was _tiny_. She weighed no more than a bag of sugar and was slightly smaller than a loaf of bread. She was, indeed, a 'snow fairy', pure white feathers as soft as freshly fallen snow and her delicate wings detailed with a frost pattern not unlike what Jack and Cal conjured up. A crown of coloured feathers identical to her mother's broke up the white, almost as bright as her kaleidoscopic purple-blue eyes. Like Tooth, she had bigger feathers trailing down behind her, resembling a skirt, the colours of these feather the pastel counterparts of those on her head.

Jack got to hold her before Cal did, which was unfair, but understandable. Highly unfair though, as Cal had to wait ten excruciatingly long minutes before he got to hold the infant.

"Hello!" He beamed. "What's her name?"

"Not sure yet." Tooth gave a weary smile. Jack was sat next to her, his arm about her shoulders. She relaxed against him, closing her eyes. She was asleep in a matter of seconds.

"Aha, you're never getting her back now!" Cal smirked, shifting his hold on his new sister and grabbing his staff. He floated from the room rapidly, heading straight for the command centre.

He stopped all fairies and introduced the nameless infant. The tot stared bemusedly around at all the fluttering fairies, seeing nothing but endless blurs of blues and greens.

"Cal!" Jack caught him by the shoulder. He freed the baby from his son's hold and gestured at all the fairies with a wave of his staff. "Tooth's asleep, so you need to organise this lot."

"Can I keep her with me?"

"Do you know how to look after a baby?"

"No." Jack just nodded, as if to say 'as I thought'. "But you could teach me!"

"Later. You've got work to do." Cal huffed sulkily, but set about giving instructions to the fairies. Jack returned to Tooth's room, summoning a cot of ice to rest his new daughter in. As far as he knew, there was still some baby stuff left over from Cal's infancy.

Ten minutes later, he successfully had her in a nappy and a clean pastel yellow jumpsuit that he had cut holes in to avoid damaging her wings.

He picked her up, his hands under her thin arms. "There. Now you won't be so messy." She yawned, her head drooping. Jack rested her against his shoulder as he retrieved a few blankets from the cupboard. One handed, he folded two blankets for her to lie on. The third covered her and she drifted happily into sleep a minute on.

* * *

"I'm going to find you." Cal said slowly in a sing-song voice. His little sister, Aliesha Pixie Wira Frost, loved hide and seek. For a three year old, she wasn't bad.

"Have you lost her again?" Jack chuckled, watching from atop his staff.

"No. Not yet." Cal added under his breath. Jack's grin widened. "Am I warm, cold, what?"

"Cold. You're always cold."

"You're not helping."

"I'm not trying to." Jack shrugged, smile still in place. Cal made a face at him and continued to search for his baby sister.

"Fee fi fo _fumb_!" Cal jumped behind a column, his hands ready to catch his sister but she wasn't there. "Where are you, you little bum."

"Don't call her that!"

"It rhymes!" Jack stared at him, unimpressed. Cal didn't respond, running a list of her usual hiding places through his mind. "Can I have a clue?"

"She's somewhere." Cal directed a 'duh' look at him. Jack smiled devilishly. "Unexpected…" He finished mysteriously.

Cal sighed, passing a hand through his messy, brightly coloured hair.

"OK, you win!" He called.

"Catch me then!" He looked up and saw her falling towards him. He darted forward a few steps and caught her. She giggled madly. "I win, I win, I win!" She chanted happily.

"Were you _flying_?" She nodded proudly as he set her down. Peering over her shoulder with a strong look of concentration, her wings shimmered as they gave a small flutter.

She managed to hover a few inches from the floor for nearly half a minute and then fell; happy, but tired at her triumph.

Jack hopped down neatly, a proud smirk playing a playful light over his features. "You helped her, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." His smirk became more twisted. "It's nice seeing you lose." Cal wrinkled his nose distastefully at his father. "Besides, she's only just started flying. Do you _really_ think she can get up there and stay there?" He nodded up at a height of twenty or thirty feet then smiled down at Aliesha. "Should we go and tell your mam then?" She grinned broadly, nodding in infectious agreement. Her father scooped her up and flew from the room. Cal quickly followed, trying to imagine how his mother would react to her little Lish _finally_ flying.

* * *

**And now Cal is a big brother. Don't know how often I can update this due to ideas and you lot would probably kill me if I abandoned the PJO fics again :P**


	2. Chapter 2

"Aw, you're a little short ass!"

"Coming from you!"

"Hey, I don't get to pick on smaller people often, let me have my fun." Aliesha smacked her brother solidly in the arm.

"You're a jerk."

"Am not." He replied, miffed and nursing the on-coming bruise. Since she had turned five, she had become increasingly violent, just like their mother. She had stopped ageing at twelve, immortality kicking in and making it seem that she was two years younger than him rather than seventeen.

"I'm short, you're short, will you _shut up_?"

"Aw, Lish, he can't help it." Jack smiled, descending and landing neatly in front of them. "He's an idiot."

"Hey!" Jack and Aliesha stared at him. "I know I'm an idiot, but that doesn't mean you can casually throw that term around."

"Ooh, _that term_. Get you." Cal wrinkled his nose at his father, folding his arms. Jack just laughed. "You child."

"I'm not a child."

"You look fourteen, you're a child."

"Technically, I'm thirty-one. And you're, like, three hundred and fifty."

"Sixty, but who's counting?"

"How old does that make Mam then?" Jack paused.

"I never could work out her age and she tries to kill me if I ask."

"I do _not_!"

"Did too! I've got the scars to prove!" Tooth glowered at Jack and he reluctantly fell silent, leaning against his staff and pulling faces at Tooth while she wasn't looking.

"You two need to be on tooth collection tonight."

"Oooh, but I was going to-" Cal never got to finish his sentence, his words dying at his mother's look. "I'll do it tomorrow, it's fine." Tooth gave a content nod and turned to her daughter, her expression softening a fraction. "_Favouritism_." Cal coughed. Jack bit his lip to conceal a snicker, but Tooth hit him anyway.

"And you're OK with that tonight?"

"How come she gets a choice and I don't?"

"She's not eighteen yet."

"That's just backwards! I'm an adult; I should be able to make my own choices. She should do as she's told."

"Cal, the day you become an _adult_, pigs would have learnt to fly."

"Well, Lish flies." Jack snorted, catching his laughter in his hand as both his wife and his daughter glared at him. They soon left, flying alongside each other. Jack fist-bumped his son, still grinning.

"That... _brilliant_." Cal smiled impishly. "Snow storm?" Jack offered.

"Hell yes."

* * *

"Boys are such _idiots_!"

"Tell me about it." Sky retorted calmly, not looking up from her drawing. Thanks to April; Sky, Amber and Eve had to sit through 'Art classes'. April wasn't the best artist, but she loved seeing her season in pretty colours.

"_Well, Lish flies_." Aliesha said in a cruel, but mostly accurate imitation of her brother. "Why is he so annoying?!"

"It's Cal." Amber pointed out. "Annoying is pretty much all he can do."

"And big brothers are annoying." Eve added grumpily. Her flower looked more like a plane with oddly shaped legs than anything else.

Aliesha didn't answer that last part. Eve's older brother was Pitch Black himself. "Cal looks out for you all the same, though, Lish." Eve continued. "Him just being annoying is his way of showing that he cares."

"He's an idiot." Amber smiled.

"An _adorable_ idiot!" April sighed dreamily. Aliesha mimed vomiting. April looked at her distastefully for a split second, before rushing around to inspect her 'students' work. "Sky, what is this?"

"A cup of dirt."

"Where's the flower?"

"It's in seed form at the moment."

"But I wanted a flower!"

"It'll grow. Just give it a few weeks."

"It's a _drawing_." Sky smirked.

"She got it." April moved onto Eve's drawing, but it was no longer there. Eve had viciously torn the page out and crumpled it into a ball, reducing it to shadows. Amber's was a bit better. It was a legible flower, although a bit childish.

"Very nice! Much better than the last one."

"Yeah, the rabbit flower." Aliesha shot Amber a cheeky look.

"It _wasn't_ a rabbit. I was just trying different _petal shapes."_

"Or you secretly like Bunny." Eve translated.

"No, he's mine!" April protested.

"I thought you liked Cal!"

"No, Sky does!"

"I do not! He's… like the gay best friend, minus the gay bit."

"I'm like the gay best friend minus the gay bit?" Cal looked utterly perplexed, hovering uncertainly in the doorway, his staff in one hand and a tray of cookies in the other. Aliesha took the tray from him before he dropped it- he had the habit of dropping _everything_\- catching Sky nodding smugly. "I feel the love, I really do."

"At least she's not calling you an idiot." Amber took a cookie from the tray, inspecting it carefully. "Are these chocolate chips or raisins?"

"Flies."

"Ew!" April's cookie smashed to the floor.

"He's lying, April." Sky sighed, biting into her own. "Chocolate chip." She told her autumn cousin, who relaxed. She didn't like raisins. "Who made these?"

"I did."

"And we're alive, _how_?" Eve questioned. Cal made a face at her.

"Mam helped."

"So, we'll live then."

"You're immortal. My cooking won't kill you." He looked at the cookies doubtfully. "They're better than the last lot though, right?"

"Maybe 'cos Mam helped you." Aliesha sighed, breaking her cookie in half and sharing it with him. He smiled gratefully.

"I know what to do next time though."

"That's a relief." Sky got to her feet, dusting herself down. "Well, I'm off. It's nearly noon in Hawaii."

"I've always wanted to go to Hawaii." Cal mumbled. "Too hot though." Aliesha could relate to his misery. They didn't get to go to the warmer countries during the summer, as much as they would like to. They became ill if they over-heated and her wings would start to ache. Both of them were winter spirits and heat did not agree with them.

"I'll bring some stuff back for you." Sky promised kindly.

"Bring Stitch."

"Cal, how many more times? He's _fictional_."

"So are you."

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Cal just smiled.

* * *

**Not much, but I wanted to get back into writing ROTG for a bit. I hope you like it!**


	3. Chapter 3

Cal and Aliesha were racing each other back to the Tooth Palace, aiming to get back before sunset for the Tooth Collection that evening. Tooth would kill them if they were late, but it wasn't Aliesha's fault that Cal had to make several snow stops all the way from France. "This is your fault!" She reprimanded for the millionth time in the last hour. "_Why _did you have to make _fifteen _stops?"

"It wasn't fifteen, it was twelve!" She shot him a venomous look. "And you know _why_\- I'm a winter spirit, it's what I do."

"You don't see me making blizzards every five minutes!"

"That's because you're a little goody-goody two shoes." He smiled easily. "Most of the time anyway." He corrected. She made to grab him, but he dived suddenly, free-falling and whooping excitedly. Aliesha shouted out his obvious idiocy and dropped after him. It took all her effort, plus some, to catch up with him and it was only when she did, did she realise that he was actually falling and not flying, just for the pure joy of it. Flying was slower, easier to overtake and control.

He grinned at her, pulling from the dive metres from the ground. Snow and ice fired out of the ground, spiralling out and coated in fluffy whiteness in less than a minute.

Accidently, Aliesha landed in a snow drift. Cal noticed her misfortune in a heartbeat, spinning around to alight expertly on a low tree branch.

"Don't," She growled, "just stand there." He sank to sit on the branch. "_Help me_!"

"What's the magic word?" He teased in a childish sing-song voice.

"Help me or I will hurt you." She snarled.

"You _are_ violent, aren't you?" Ignoring him, she tried to find leverage to pull herself free, but only fell more, snow crashing around her neck and splattering her feathers. Cal appeared in front of her, his staff propped against the tree. He knelt and dug the snow away with his hands, reaching to pull her free.

"You did that on purpose." She grumbled, brushing snow from her shoulder and fluttering her wings to de-snow them. She was still annoyed at him, just not as much as she had been originally. He had taken the time to dig her out manually, instead of magically. As he would say, it was the thought that counted.

"Let's get you home." He retrieved his staff and looked back at her, that familiar cheeky smile returning. "Race you."

* * *

"I don't understand Cal."

"Does anyone?" Sky frowned at her painting. "Damn April and this art class, I hate it."

"Don't let her hear you say that!" Amber hissed. Sky shrugged carelessly. Amber sighed in defeat, turning to Aliesha instead. "What's wrong with Cal now?"

"He made it snow, right?"

"Obviously." Sky muttered sarcastically. Aliesha ignored her.

"And I fell in a snow drift. He helped me after he'd finished laughing, but not with his powers. Why would he do that?"

"Maybe he just wanted to keep you stuck for longer." Sky ripped the canvas from the easel and tossed it aside. Dusting her hands down, she said, "I give up with this art stuff. It's boring me now."

"Well, you didn't do too bad." Cal nudged the frame with his foot. "If you look at it from this angle, it looks like an ice-cream."

"It's not supposed to be an ice-cream!"

"It's not?" He stared back at the painting. "What is it then?"

"Those are clouds, Cal." Sky sighed. "And when did you get here?"

"Like, two seconds ago. I heard my name." He smiled at his sister. "I've made it snow outside. Do you want to build a snowman?"

"If you start singing that, I will rip your vocal chords out." Eve snickered from her corner.

"I like you more and more every day."

"I wasn't going to sing that. I was going to sing _Let it go_."

"You do that and I'll make sure Mam and Dad never find your remains."

"My remains." Cal repeated blandly. "OK, fine." He started singing Olaf's summer song instead. Sky attacked him first, launching herself at him and flattening him to the floor violently.

"I walked in at a bad time." Jack peered down at Cal and Sky wrestling on the floor. "Are these two having a moment?"

"No, she's just trying to kill him." Amber replied casually.

"What a surprise." He stepped over them and then stopped at Sky's discarded painting, cocking his head to the side. "That looks like a lopsided ice-cream."

"They're _clouds_!" Sky had managed to get Cal in a chokehold, looking very much like she wanted to do the same to Jack.

"Mm-kay." Jack looked at his daughter. "Your mam wants you."

"I didn't do it, it was Cal and anything he might have said, he's lying."

"That sounds rehearsed." Cal spluttered, pulling on Sky's arm to no avail. Damn being a skinny fourteen year old forever.

Aliesha followed her father out anyway, kicking Cal half-heartedly on the way out. Unlike the other fairies, she lacked the telepathy, something that Cal liked to taunt her with. She could always get her own back though, able to control winter without the aid of a staff. Sometimes, she took his most trusted tool from him in retaliation to his being highly annoying. He didn't like that.

Tooth was jetting about the control room, dealing out instructions and talking a million miles an hour in excitement as she examined new teeth.

"Lish!" She swooped down and hugged her daughter fiercely. "I heard you fell in a snow drift, are you OK?"

"I'm fine, Mam. It's Cal you should be worried about."

"Cal-? Oh… Oh, no, that makes sense." She relaxed slightly. "I've got a job for you, if you're up for it." Aliesha nodded eagerly and Tooth smiled proudly. "I knew you would be." Two fairies zoomed down, depositing a red drawstring bag in Tooth's out-stretched hand. "London. William Freeman was just attacked and is now unconscious."

"How old is he?"

"About fifteen."

"Shouldn't he keep his teeth then?"

"They're giving him false ones." Tooth scowled disapprovingly. False teeth annoyed her to no end. "It's best to keep those teeth than just throw them away."

"OK." Her mother's smile returned and they both went their separate ways.

* * *

It took Aliesha a little over an hour to reach London. She had no trouble tracking William to a hospital on the outskirts of Central London. He was on the third floor, room five.

She melted through the window easily and was greeted by a bruised and bandage teen lying- out cold, as her mother had said- his face swollen and blackened beyond recognition. On the bedside table to his left was his three knocked out teeth.

Aliesha didn't go to grab them straight away, because there was someone else here.

Lounging in a seat, of similar age to William, was a boy with thick, dark hair and lightly tanned skin. He had to be some sort of athlete as no-one looked that toned sitting around all day, like most teenage boys apparently did.

She took a few cautious steps forward and saw that his eyes were closed, his thick lashes casting shadows under his eyes.

Personally, she didn't spend a lot of time around mortals. They couldn't see her anyway- they'd have to believe in her for that. But, not having associated with mortals that much at all, she never knew how to act around them.

Especially the cute ones.

Moving past the sleeping boy with a silence that wasn't really necessary, she scooped the teeth into the small drawstring bag and left a stack of quarters in their place.

She made to go back to the window, but being the clumsy idiot that she was, she somehow knocked the water jug flying.

It smashed to the floor and the boy in the chair awoke with a start.

"Will?" He asked instantly, looking hopeful. Aliesha froze, despite the stupidity of it.

The boy watched his friend carefully, the expectant smile fading. He slouched, defeated, back in his chair, rubbing at his eyes with one hand. "Idiot." He sighed and glanced around, his eyes widening at the sight of the broken glass pitcher. He raised an eyebrow at that- heavy jugs of water didn't just fly of their own accord onto the floor.

He scanned the room, easing himself up and stretching. Aliesha moved away slowly, hovering over the glass and towards the window, not taking her eyes from him. Now that he was awake, she could see that his eyes were a deep, vibrant blue, like the depths of the ocean.

She passed through the wall as he started cleaning up her mess, but she didn't start her flight home immediately.

Something pulled her back, a tingle at the base of her neck, a tingle that kept her outside and watching the boy tidy up.

* * *

"And where have you been?" Cal quizzed, concealing a smile while his eyes sparked.

"Just on an errand for Mam."

"It doesn't take four hours to get to London, pick up some teeth and get home." He leaned forward, staring into her eyes concernedly. "Did something happen?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" She nodded. "Tell your face that then." He chucked her under the chin, but she hit his hand away. He just laughed, capturing her under his arm. "I made cookies again. They'll cheer you up."

Aliesha went along with her brother, but that boy- she hadn't found out his name- was stuck to her thoughts like glue.

_What was the matter with her? _

He was just some mortal sitting in a hospital room, waiting for his friend to wake up. She didn't _know _him. He was just there and he was kind of cute.

A warm breeze carrying the sweet scent of roses distracted her momentarily. Cal didn't seem to notice it, happily setting his plate of oddly-shaped chocolate chip cookies on the table in front of her.

Taking one, she glanced around the room, the flowery smell lingering and blending with the aroma of fresh cookies.

* * *

**Somebody did ask about a love interest for Aliesha- I've bought it about a bit quicker than planned, but it's an update! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**To Awesome as Annabeth- I'm not sure what I'm naming the guy just yet. My brother's called Billy and I'd quite happily kill him most days, so sorry, but that's a no-no. **

**To Guest- Thank you! If only all siblings were like Aliesha and Cal; things would be **_**so**_** much better :P **

**Apologies for not updating on this one in **_**forever**_**, I've only recently got a small idea for it.**

* * *

Something was up with Aliesha. She seemed distracted. Well, _more_ distracted. She didn't threaten to kill Cal for making cookies that were meant to look like her, but ended up looking like pigs. _Pigs fly_, he had teased her, strutting about with his best Aliesha-impression. The best he got, strangely, was a glare. Normally, he would get a whack or two for that.

Another thing Cal had noticed- because he was smart like that- was that every other day, she would disappear for a few hours and return just before curfew, looking sheepish. It wasn't anywhere near his birthday and she wasn't nice enough to plan something for him, so what _was_ she doing?

He waited two months for her to say something- he even dropped a few hints, but she didn't seem to register them. One night, she snuck out and Cal followed her. He had never seen her fly so fast and so urgently, trying to figure out her motives the whole trip to London. It was mid-morning here and Cal felt the change in time zones instantly. And the change in temperature. For the sake of his children, Jack kept a mild and soothing chill about the Tooth Palace- not enough to effect the fairies, but enough to keep them cool. Here, it was going into summer. Aliesha faltered in her flight pattern on a few occasions, but kept going. Cal struggled along. She took more after their mother in the heat resistance, but not to a strong degree.

He had to land a short while later, too warm. Thankfully, she didn't go far, disappearing through the wall of what Cal thought was a school. _Did she fly all this way to _learn_? _He pondered. If she wanted to learn, there was always Father Knowledge.

Cal summoned a cool breeze to chill out and then flew in after her. He had thought he would have lost her in the twists and turns of the secondary school, but she was in one of the first classrooms he came across, sitting at the back. He didn't rush in and grab her instantly, curiously looking around the classroom first. This had to be Maths. Numbers were everywhere and there were lots of them and symbols on the board.

Focusing on his sister, Cal noticed that she wasn't listening to the teacher or looking at the board or taking notes like the other students. She was staring somewhat dreamily, yet sadly, at a boy sat just before her. Dark hair, deep blue eyes, athletic frame, charming smile- oh dear.

"Lish!" He hissed. She startled, nearly toppling from the low cupboard she was sat on. It took a few seconds for her to place him and, when she did, she look _mad_.

"What are you doing here?!" She demanded.

"Better yet, what are _you_ doing here?"

"That's… that's none of your business!" But her eyes flicked to the pretty boy again and her cheeks reddened.

_Oh dear_.

"Miss, it's cold in here!" Cal snapped back to reality and looked down. The crooked end of his staff had touched the floor and in his absent-mindedness, he had accidently lowered the temperature in the room. He hastily righted the staff and looked back at his sister.

"We need to talk."

"No, you need to _leave_."

"Later." He bounced forward and grabbed her by the arm before she could do anything. "Come on."

"No!"

"Lish, you can't stay here!"

"You can't stop me!"

"I have to!"

"No, you don't!" She snatched her arm free. "Just go home, Cal! I can take care of myself!"

"That's- oh, moon and stars, Lish, it's Cupid!" She did a double-take.

"What?"

"Cupid, OK? I've seen the look people get when he's been around."

"It's not Cupid!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Have you had a strange stabbing pain you can't explain in your neck or back? Have you randomly smelt roses? Do you feel like you can't stop thinking about him?" He pointed harshly at the boy. "Why do you keep coming back here? How are you always finding him?"

"I-" But now he had said it, it all made sense. Something in her expression must have tipped him off, because his annoyance faded into something more sympathetic.

"Let's get you home." He took hold of her arm again, gentler this time, kindly leading her from the room.

"Cal-"

"You _can't_ stay here."

"Why _not_?"

"_He can't see you._ Even if you somehow changed that, he's _mortal_."

"So?"

"He'll die. They all do. They'll grow up, they'll move on and then, one day, they won't be there."

"But you said Cupid-"

"I know what I said."

"Can't we talk to Cupid?"

"No. Once he's shoot you and your… _partner_," The way he said was so tense, so… _pained_, Aliesha couldn't help but wonder if Cupid had meddled with Cal too. But she would know about that, surely? "There's no changing it after he's shot you. Even he can't change, whether he wanted to or not."

"Then why would he-?"

"I don't know." Cal sighed. When he pulled her away again, she didn't resist.


	5. Chapter 5

Cal did his best by Aliesha, but Cupid had clearly struck her with his magic. It was hard keeping an eye on her, especially during Tooth Collection. Cal couldn't keep coming up with excuses to keep her away from London - their parents were growing suspicious.

"Is everything ok?" Jack quizzed one night, eyeing his two children carefully.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

"You two are acting weird." He paused. "Well, weirder. What's going on?"

"Nothing, Dad. We're fine." Aliesha mumbled, not looking her father in the eye. Jack knew better and froze them both in place, confiscating his son's staff. A bit of his daughter's fire returned then, "Dad!"

"Oh no, you're going to be late for helping your mam. If only you could tell me whatever you're clearly not telling me... I may be able to let you go in time." Cal felt the burn of his sister's glare searing holes in the side of his head. He had asked her before if she wanted to tell Tooth and Jack about the Cupid situation, but she had shot him down on numerous occasions. "Have you two had a fight?"

"No." Cal answered. "It's just-"

"A bet." Aliesha finished. "We made a bet that if he could keep me out of all capitol cities for a month, I'll do his chores for a week."

"Which I said was unfair." Cal added, cottoning on. "It's just that I'm winning and she's not happy with that." Jack looked from one to the other, silently debating with himself if he should trust the pair and let them on their way or have their mother deal with them. If they were lying, they wouldn't dare lie to Tooth.

"Alright, fine." He cracked the ice with the crooked end of his staff, returned Cal's and shooed them away. Despite their story, he still had a nagging doubt that they were hiding something.

"You can't keep lying to them."

"Why? You do all the time."

"Not about serious stuff like this!"

"Shut up and fly, Cal. We've teeth to collect." Cal made to argue, but the fire in her eyes silenced him. When she had calmed down, they were going to talk about this, maybe come up with some sort of game plan.

They worked well into the early hours, barely saying a word to the other. They had to be home by sunset otherwise their mother would worry and then ground them when they turned up. It was usually for every ten minutes they were late, a week's worth of boredom. Cal had his staff confiscated and had to do the meager chores, like laundry and dishes and sweeping. Aliesha normally worked in the kitchens or was sent to the North Pole to keep the yetis' living quarters clean. She often complained of how much fur they shed.

Aliesha wondered what her mother would say if she turned up three hours late without her brother.

It had all happened so fast.

They were on the return flight, teeth safely stored in her belt. There hadn't been so many tonight and Cal had thought the teeth would be safer with her. This gave him plenty of reason to dive and create snow days over every settlement they passed.

"Cal!" She scolded. "I've just got the yeti smell out of my feathers, I am not going through that again!"

"Alright, alright. Killjoy." He behaved after that, other than the odd swoop or roll to entertain his short attention span. Aliesha made sure he stayed on track- he had been known to get lost relatively easy when he was bored.

Aliesha kept an eye on him, but her mind wondered. She had stayed away, under Cal's directions, but all she could think about was that boy. She had learnt that his name was Mitchell. His friends called him Mitch or Titch- apparently, he used to be really short; he was one of the tallest now, but the nickname had stuck. One time he had been called Titchy Mitchy. Aliesha thought it was cute.

But she couldn't not think of anything that she could do to make him believe. Jack Frost was more commonly known than her, not so commonly believed in, but his two children? No. Jamie and Tiana knew them, but that was it. Besides, they didn't really count, they were practically family.

Sighing inwardly, Aliesha did her best to banish Mitchell from her mind- not that it worked; she just did her best to focus on something else. That didn't really work either. Not until she noticed Cal grinning up at her and telling one of his horrid jokes: "Why did the cow cross the road?"

"Why?" She sighed.

"To get to the udder side." He smiled, expecting her to laugh. Aliesha forced a smile and a small laugh and he accepted it. But it only encouraged him to spew more ridiculous jokes. Aliesha smiled and laughed thinly when required, but she had been hearing these so-called jokes since birth, according to Bunny. Not that she remembered at such a young age, but they were familiar.

"Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

"Boo."

"Boo w- Cal, look out!" He frowned at her, thinking she was trying to be funny. Something must have registered though as he turned. Aliesha dived to grab him and haul him away, but she didn't react fast enough.

The darkness engulfed him in a second, burying him in the ravenous folds. Jets of nightmares hurtled towards her, searing across her arms and shoulders, one slicing across her cheek. The pain struck her like lightning; Cal was in danger, he needed her help.

Pitch melted out of nowhere, right in her path. In his left hand, he held Cal's staff.

"Boo." He smiled, a smile that sent rivers of paralysing dread flooding icily down her spine, numbing her all over.

"Pitch." She gasped. His power churning below them spiralled away into nothingness. "Where's my brother?!"

"Now," He chuckled, "that would be telling."


	6. Chapter 6

**To Guest- You mean Sky. I was going to do that originally, so you're right there, but I may have other ideas… :D**

* * *

Aliesha crashed through the ceiling, un-fazing at the wrong moment and crashing into one of the supports. Her shoulder exploded in agony, painful splinters shooting down her arm and across her chest. She must have cried out as both Jack and Tooth appeared next to her, a swarm of fairies hovering enquiringly in the background.

"Lish, what happened?" Jack asked as Tooth probed the injured shoulder. Aliesha felt like she was going to explode from the resulting wave of fresh pain. Darkness tinged the edges of her vision and she saw their worried eyes, ice blue and sparkling mauve, zeroing down on her. Jack caught her as she blacked out.

* * *

When she awoke, her right arm and shoulder were encased in some weird green-orange mush that smelt of herbs and ozone. She couldn't move.

"Hey you." Jack smiled half-heartedly at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Wh-?" She flicked her eyes to the paste covering her.

"That's Father Knowledge's handy work. Numbs the pain, he said, and I think it speeds up the healing process, can't remember what he said. He started going on a tangent about herbs and stuff." Jack waved his hand absent-mindedly and smiled again. "I stopped listening."

"Of course you did."

"So, why did you crash into the ceiling?" Her heart thudded in her chest, blood roaring in her eyes. Cal...

She stammered and stuttered over what happened, but it had all gone so horribly wrong so horribly fast and the dull, throb from her shoulder was highly distracting. Jack's eyes never left her, the cheeky and fatherly look getting more and more intensely concerned with each passing second.

"And then... he was just gone." Her voice trembled and tears threatened to spill. "What do we do?"

"Well, you're staying here to recover." He stood up. "Lucky for you, Knowledge and Fairy volunteered to look after you."

"Lucky?"

"April wanted to help." He mimed air quotes with his free hand. "They'll be here in a minute. I've got to tell your mam."

"I want to help."

"Not with that shoulder."

"But-"

"You see this?" He pointed at her, arm fully extended and tilting his head back slightly, looking down his nose at her. "This is me grounding you until further notice."

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can, I'm your dad." Aliesha scowled at him, but stayed put. He smiled gratefully and left. A minute later, her new babysitters arrived, Father Knowledge dragging in a big bag of books. "Something to keep you busy while your shoulder heals." He beamed, as though reading dusty old tomes was good for her. Aliesha mentally sighed- this was going to be a long recovery.

* * *

"Be careful!" Tooth pleaded. Jack kissed her cheek and shot up. She couldn't help find their son as she couldn't leave her station. Children had to believe in her and the fairies needed someone to tell them where to go.

Luckily, some of the other spirits were willing to help. The other seasonal embodiments, Cupid and Valentino, the Leprechaun, the other Guardians (obviously), Eve the Halloween spirit and Mother Nature. Jack had explained what had happened as best he could. Pitch could have taken Cal anywhere though, so they were to check everywhere and anywhere. North asked Manny, but no response. One day Jack would figure out how to freeze the moon and make his point- DON'T BE SO FLIPPING AWKWARD.

Unbeknownst to them, Cal was sitting on a beach of some deserted island. One of your typical in-the-middle-of-nowhere islands, hot with no fresh water and great big expanses of steamy jungle. Usually great. If you weren't a winter spirit.

Cal couldn't remember straying off course or why he would pick such a tropical and too warm location or how he even got here. All he could remember was a striking and vivid image of Aliesha screaming his name in warning and then... nothing. Darkness.

He had tried to find a way off the island, but his staff was missing. He couldn't so much as summon a snowflake. He couldn't fly or cool the temperature to something habitable or anything. He could walk through trees, but that wasn't exactly helpful. He had tried to find the coolest place, next to a spring in the shade. The air was muggy and the water lukewarm, sunlight filtering through the leafs. He felt like a vampire, literally hissing at the sun and its accursed warmth.

Overheating was never good for him, his nerves or his mind. Every bird call or animal howl was someone trying to hunt him down, every twig snapping a footfall of some approaching opponent. He felt groggy and disorientated. The sun was looming towards the afternoon when he feel into a fitful sleep.

Clowns. Demonic clowns with gore dripping from their claws and razor sharp teeth, talon-like fingers burrowing into his chest, their blazing scarlet eyes cackling gleefully as they ripped-

Cal startled awake, half-choking, half-screaming, and vomited. His head was swimming with the deranged laugh of a cannibal clown and it took a few seconds longer than it should have to notice the black sand clinging to his person.

"You didn't like that nightmare, did you?" That voice. It danced about, never from one particular place. The shadows writhed about him, solidifying and slicing his palms and wrists. He tried to bat them away; they only latched onto his arms, scrabbling up to his neck, drawing blood from maliciously deep lacerations.

A laugh. "Good. We're only just getting started."


	7. Chapter 7

Aliesha's shoulder healed in one week, two days, six hours, thirty-seven minutes and twelve seconds. _That_ was how bored she had been, even with her and Fairy's 'good book' smuggling routine. Father Knowledge had given her books to _learn _from. She just wanted a story. They would wait until Father Knowledge left for food and then Fairy would zip and change into a hippogriff and come back ten minutes later with a selection of stories. They would swap the dustcovers around and Father Knowledge- the smartest man on the planet- had no idea.

The seasonal spirits, Eve and her parents dropped in from time to time, to keep her updated. Jack point-blank refused to let her help, even when her shoulder was fully healed and she could move her arm and throw ice balls at him. He only relented when she agreed to take someone with her in case she got into trouble. Eve volunteered before April did, much to the spring spirit's disapproval and Aliesha's relief. She didn't mind April; she was just very energetic and _loud_.

"We've double-checked everywhere," Eve informed her on one of their patrols, "and triple- and quadruple-checked. I'm not sure what five, six and seven are though, so…" She shrugged.

"I'm going to slap Pitch into next week for this!" Aliesha raged. Eve just nodded. She hated her brother, but he was still her brother. "Why would he take Cal? Cal wouldn't hurt a fly!" They landed atop the Eiffel Tower. Aliesha flexed her wings and saw a croissant stall not from the base of Paris's iconic tower. Her stomach growled in response.

"Oh, this isn't good." Eve sunk back against the railings, massaging her temples irritably. "Pitch wouldn't hide Cal somewhere like this."

"How'd you know that?"

"It's busy and obvious and we'd have found him by now."

"Unless he was underground."

"Mother Nature is checking all that, remember? Even if Pitch was hiding Cal, any surge in his power would show where Cal was being kept."

"So… where would he be then?" Eve scanned their surroundings, surveying the French-ians **(Elmlea)** below.

"Somewhere where we wouldn't think to look. Away from civilisation, somewhere that's not nice for Cal…" She trailed off, her eyes narrowing in thought. "We should be checking the warmer countries."

"Warmer countries? I can't go there!"

"I know you can't." Eve raised her hand and a shadows coiled against her palm, taking the form of a raven. "Find Sky and tell her to check her countries." Aliesha expected the bird to caw or nod in agreement. She did _not_ expect it to say 'OK!' and take flight.

"Talking crow."

"Raven." Eve corrected. "Crows are for Sundays." Aliesha must have given her a funny look as she laughed. "Come on, we should tell the others." And, as casual as anything, she somersaulted forward and free fell, whooping in delight. Aliesha dived after her.

* * *

Upon hearing the talking raven's message, Sky went straight to Hawaii. Cal had always wanted to go there, but couldn't because of the heat; Pitch may have granted that wish in his own cruel fashion.

She checked all over the island and all the extra, smaller islands about it, but nothing. She checked through the night as well, as most of them were doing- Pitch was stronger at night and the theory was they may be able to sense his dark power easier when the stars were out.

Two days she spent checking those islands. Mother Nature confirmed there was nothing underground and Sky proceeded to circle out, checking all her other places. Not in Egypt, not in Australia, not in Cuba.

She got a ping flying over the ocean though, between Spain and England. It wasn't a _ping_ exactly, more of a cold feeling.

Looking down, she saw a single island, the sand yellow and the thick greens of a forest or jungle filling the centre. It was like looking at a very rough circular eye. A _huge _eye. It would take a weeks to search that island, a month at the most. She needed back-up; an island like this could hold all sorts of hiding places. With Amber and April- and possibly Eve too- the search time would drop to a week, two at the most.

Sky watched her hand, concentrating until it burst into flame. Aiming at the beach, she carved a giant X into the sand, burning the ground beneath. Water leaked up and stayed in the shape, like a moat around a sandcastle. It would be bloody difficult to hide that.

* * *

Pitch waited until the summer spirit had made her mark and left. That was far too close. He would have to move the brat. Unless…

Looking at Cal, Pitch could see the result of his work so far. He had had to pin Cal in an underarm headlock to keep him still and placed a firm hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. Not that he would have enough sense to shout out to his friend; over the past two weeks, Pitch had dug through the boy's mind, pulling up all his fears and worries. The obvious fear of clowns, the worry of someone hurting his parents, his friends and- most importantly- his little sister. Pitch liked making nightmares for that one, he got the best reaction.

Cal's eyes flicked to him, his pupils dilated in sheer, indescribable terror. There was only a thin ring of that intriguing purple left, but Pitch didn't care about that. The boy's eyes were unfocused and petrified out of his wits; so far out of his wits he had next to nothing left.

"Just wait until your little friends find you," Pitch teased, digging his fingers into the sides of Cal's head. The brat's eyes swam with desperate tears and he pulled unavailingly at Pitch's hands, "although, why would they? You've been nothing but a _burden_." A sob choked from Cal and he closed his eyes, tears flooding down his cheeks. Pitch let him go and he fell to the floor, curling up and sobbing quietly. "Nothing but a _nuisance_." The nightmare king kicked him onto his back and placed his foot on his chest. Cal's eyes shot open and Pitch grinned to himself.

_Almost there…_


	8. Chapter 8

**To Guest 1- Because I'm nice :P **

**To Guest 2- I'm still working out the pairings, I can't decide what I want to do just yet. I do like Frozen, but the problem is that this is in a modern time and Frozen would be quite a while ago. I'll think about it, maybe make a few Frozen mentions of something :P **

* * *

"Aliesha? Where'd you go?" Eve couldn't _believe_ she had lost the snow fairy. She had literally turned her back on her _for a second_ and… poof. Gone. "Lish!" She called, stomping her foot irritably. "Your mum's going to kill me! Come back!" She jumped up into the sky, switching into bat form. If she couldn't see Aliesha, then maybe she could hear her. The fairy's wings were as fast as a hummingbird's and that was easy enough to pick up on. There weren't many hummingbirds- if any- in England.

The only problem with being a bat right this very second was that it was daytime. Bats were nocturnal. The mortals believed in bats, so they could see her flying overhead and screeching. Some of the women and the odd guy immediately put their arms over their heads to protect their hair, but a bat going for human hair was a myth. One Eve had invented herself.

Eve soared past the House of Parliament and shot up, turning back into her regular form. The hearing idea would have worked had London not been so flaming busy. Horns blaring, drivers swearing, someone demanding a cup of tea and crumpets… Eve loved the British. She just hated their noise.

Having effectively lost Aliesha, Eve reluctantly resigned returning to the Tooth Palace; the rendezvous site.

With a final look over the streets and houses, Eve cursed herself for not keeping a better eye on the young teen. She couldn't see any blurs of white zipping about the roads or rooftops. Aliesha had just vanished. "Oooh, I hope she's OK." Eve complained to herself, tugging at her hair in annoyance. "You're an idiot, Eve, a complete idiot."

Aliesha was alright. She had just fallen victim to temptation. She _had _to see Mitchell again, even if it was for a minute. There wasn't much she could do for Cal unless Pitch decided to move him to Antarctica or somewhere not as warm as the island Sky had marked. The three warmer seasonal spirits were still searching that island, as far as Aliesha knew. Eve would have helped, but she had been put on Aliesha-duty.

A twinge of guilt nagged at her stomach and Aliesha faltered. It wasn't fair of her to give Eve the slip like that, but she couldn't resist. She just hoped that Eve didn't send out one of her talking raven/crow birds or panic or find her. _If Eve knew about Mitchell…_

Pulling herself back together, Aliesha set off again, flying faster to make up for lost time. _He was around here somewhere_... Aha!

Mitchell was in his back garden, mowing the lawn. His father was painting the fence a darker brown and his mother was pottering about on the patio, arranging and watering her flowers. Aliesha landed in the cool shade of their tree, concealed in the branches even though they couldn't see her anyway. She could see Mitchell alright though. He took after his father with the dark hair and the tall and lean build. He had his mother's eyes though and her compassion. He stopped the lawn mower just to pick a hot and bothered frog from the grass and put him in their small pond.

"Do you two want a drink?" His mother called, brushing the dirt on her hands off on her gardening jeans.

"Please!" They responded, smiling identical, polite smiles at her. She smiled back and disappeared into the house. Mitchell surveyed the fences. "You should have done them blue." He said.

"Fences are supposed to be brown, Mitch." His father sighed, smiling fondly. They had had this conversation before.

"Says who?" Mitchell challenged cheekily, examining the handle of the mower and drumming his fingers on it. "Fences aren't _supposed_ to be brown; people are just too shy or too boring to add any colour to them."

"I am _not_ repainting them. And neither are you," He added, half-turning to look at his son, "you are _not_ ruining my hard work."

"I did tell you to paint them blue in the first place."

"Well, we brought brown, so they're brown." Mitchell coughed, narrowly concealing a word. "Naff?!" His father protested, throwing down his paint brush. Mitchell nodded, smirking. His father gestured at the ground dramatically, indicating the lawn mower work. "_This _is naff! You're supposed to go in straight lines!"

"_Supposed_ to?"

"Oh, don't start that again." Mitchell's mother had returned, carrying two glasses of iced lemonade. "Mitch, sweetie, do you _always_ have to go against the grain?"

"Wouldn't be me if I didn't, Mum." He grinned. "Thanks, darlin'." He said in a crude imitation of his dad, raising his glass to her. She rolled her eyes and went to talk to her husband. They had a good giggle, probably about their son's complete disrespect of how things are _supposed_ to be.

It was another half hour before his parents decided to call it a day. Mitchell had finished the mowing the grass by that point and was watching his new frog friend swimming happily about the pond. He had filled it up with fresh, cool water and the frog loved it. "I'm going to call you Steve." Mitchell decided. "I've never met a frog called Steve. Hello."

"Mitch! Ryan's here!"

"Ry-Ry!"

"I told you not to call me that!" Ryan, one of Mitchell's best friends, appeared on the patio, looking disgruntled. He was a little taller than Mitchell with sandy blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He and Mitchell had known each other since childhood and were practically brothers.

"Exactly why I do." Mitchell replied calmly, turning back to the pond. "Come and meet Steve!"

"What?" Ryan quizzed, annoyance fading. Mitchell waved him over; Ryan rolled his eyes, but obliged. "Steve." He said, moving his gaze to follow the happy frog. "Steve's a frog."

"And he's _still_ a better conversationalist than you!" Mitchell teased, elbowing his friend good-heartedly. Ryan slugged him in the shoulder and they started play-fighting, rather quickly resorting to childish slaps.

Ryan tackled Mitchell and they stayed on the grass, making pictures with the clouds.

"That looks like an eye."

"No it doesn't. But that reminds me," Ryan looked questioningly at his friend, "that weird feeling?"

"The one where you thought you were being watched?" Mitchell nodded. "That hasn't come back, has it?"

"About an hour ago." Ryan huffed, exhaling loudly and for quite a few seconds.

"Mitch, no-one's watching you."

"Well, you are."

"That's different, I'm talking to you."

"Still."

"Don't make me call you Titch again."

"I'm not _that_ short anymore!"

"Mm." Ryan laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. Mitchell reached up and flicked him in the head. "Ow!"

"Ahaha, I win." Mitchell grinned triumphantly. Ryan muttered a few choice words about his friend and shifted away. "Seriously though, mate. That watching-me-feeling went away for a while, like, two weeks or something. Back now though."

"Paranoia."

"I am many things, but paranoid isn't one of them."

"No-one," Ryan repeated, emphasising each word, "is watching you."

"This is _England_. Everyone's watching everyone."

"Oh, you don't know that."

"No, I do. I heard somewhere that, in England, there are- on average- seven CCTV or web-cameras watching an individual." Ryan put his hands over his face and groaned. "What?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"I don't know. Somewhere." Mitchell shrugged. "This isn't a camera though, I know that one. This feels like someone is actually sitting there watching me."

"Alright, alright. _Where_ would they be sitting then?" Mitchell frowned. Ryan was humouring him. "Come on. Where would they be?" Ryan got up. "By the pond? The tree? The house? In the sky? In your _imagination_?"

"You're a cold-hearted sod, you know that?"

"Yes, I've a medal saying it."

"Gold?"

"Platinum."

"Bloody hell…" Ryan grinned devilishly, pacing the garden.

"You haven't answered my question." Mitchell pondered it for a few seconds.

"In the tree."

"_In_ the tree?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not climbing the tree for one of your wild goose chases, mate." Mitchell rolled onto his front and started plucking blades of grass free.

"You don't have to climb it. Can… can you see anything weird?" Aliesha shrunk back against the trunk instinctively and then mentally scolded herself. _They can't see me_.

"Not in the tree, no."

"What? You didn't even look!" Ryan pointed at the pond instead. A disapproving _ribbit_ had Mitchell look round- he didn't trust Ryan with things like this; if he pointed at something behind you, chances are he was going to jump on you. "Whoa… did I do that?" Aliesha leaned forward, moving out onto one of the thicker branches. Her heart sank.

The pond had frozen over.

"No, you idiot. You don't have ice powers."

"I could." Mitchell replied, sticking his bottom lip out in a sulk.

"What are you, Jack flaming Frost?" Aliesha saw him then. Jack flaming Frost.

And he did _not_ look happy.

"Technically, that's _who_ are you."

"That's not technical, that's grammatical."

"Shut up, Ryan. You can't correct me when I'm correcting you."

"I have literally done nothing else with my life."

"You sad, strange little man."

"Wh-? _Are you quoting _Toy Story_ at me_?"

"Maybe…"

Aliesha thought about flying away, but the intensity of her father's fuming eyes kept her in place. She didn't know how long he had been there or how he had found her or if he knew how long she had been here. All she knew was that she was in big trouble.

He was sat on the fence, elbow atop one of the posts Mitchell's father was yet to cut down to make the fence all level. His staff was balanced on the other shoulder, the crooked end just above his head. He stared at her for another second and then looked at the two friends bickering. Mitchell was persistent with the fact that _he_ had frozen the pond and Ryan was trying to explain to him that wasn't possible; he was an idiot; if you could _really _do that, why don't you unfreeze it? Mitchell was all for trying, raising his hands and chanting a load of gibberish, occasionally throwing in 'snow' or 'ice' or 'Jack Frost'.

When it started snowing, both boys huddled together. This wasn't a game now- it was either Mitchell had done that or… or what? Why was it snowing in summer? _How_ was it snowing in summer?

Jack hopped past the boys and up into the tree, settling next to his daughter.

"Having fun?"

"Dad, I-"

"Thought you'd give us the run-around." Jack finished for her. Aliesha held her tongue. "So, this was your big idea, huh? Have Eve come back to us saying you'd gone missing?"

"No, I-"

"We've got enough to worry about with Cal. We don't need you running off too."

"Dad, I'm s-" He held up his hand, cutting her off. He had _that_ look on his face and she knew it was better to stay quiet. She had never seen _that_ look towards her, not even towards Cal when he was at his most annoying. That was a look Jack reserved for someone who _really_ rattled his cages.

It had stopped snowing and the pond had returned to a cooler, more liquid state. Steve the Frog was happy enough with this, putting the confusion behind him and paddling about. Mitchell and Ryan were debating between aliens and hidden mutant abilities.

"Which one?" Jack asked gruffly, not taking his eyes from the mortal pair. When Aliesha didn't answer, he looked round, frowning. "_Which one_?" He demanded.

"M-Mitchell. The dark-haired one." He clenched his jaw furiously, frost creeping over the leaves and twigs, slowly making its way to the branch they sat on and the trunk. Mitchell noticed first.

"Frost!" He exclaimed.

"Frost!" Ryan repeated.

"We're leaving." Jack announced, taking her by the arm and rising.

"But, Dad-"

"We're _leaving_."

"Dude, you don't think it could be _Jack_ Frost, do you?"

"He's just a myth, Mitch, do be serious."

"I _am_ being serious!"

"I thought that was one of the many things you weren't. Like, _paranoid_."

"Really? Right now?"

"Oh, sorry. How does tomorrow sound? Ten, maybe?"

"_Ryan_."

"_Mitchell_." Ryan retorted, folding his arms. Jack had taken to the air. Aliesha was trying to pull him back, pointing out that he could get two more believers if he just _stayed put_.

"I don't want two more believers!" Jack growled. "Especially not those two!"

"Why not?"

"You know why!"

"What?" She snatched her arm free, hovering further back. "Did Cal tell you?" He frowned again, more confused than annoyed this time.

"Tell me what?"

"Um…"

"That wasn't a bet you two had going, was it? Cal knew!" Aliesha tried to explain, but Jack cut across. "_Cal knew_! About him!" He waved in Mitchell's general direction.

"Dad, it's not what it looks like!"

"It's look like Cupid to me!"

"Well then, I guess it _is_ what it looks like." Aliesha sighed. "But Dad, _please_, just listen to me! And don't freeze him!" She lunged forward, intent on taking Jack's staff away, but he was faster, whirling his most trusted tool out of her reach. "Cal didn't say anything to you or to Mam because I asked him not to!"

"Why?!"

"Because I wanted to do this on my own!"

"What? Fall in love with a _mortal_? Lish, snap out of it! _He can't see you_!"

"I know, but-"

"No!" Jack held up his hand again, silencing her. "No." He repeated, quieter but firmer. "We're going home and that's _final_."

"But-"

"_Now_." He glowered at Mitchell, as if it were his fault for all of this.

"Dad, don't-"

"You're not allowed to come back here."

"What?" He looked back at her. Something in his eyes softened and he lowered his staff. "Dad, no-"

"It's for you own good, Aliesha. I don't want you anywhere near him again. Do you understand?" Thick tears blurred her vision. "Lish." He didn't sound so angry now. Aliesha turned away from him, stubbornly hiding her face in her hands. She made to fly away, but he caught her by the arm.

"Let me go!"

"No." She tried to hit him away, furious. Jack didn't react to that, pulling her into a one-armed hug. She struggled for a minute, tears building up in her temper.

And then she cried.

She hadn't wanted to, especially not around him right now, but she couldn't _not_ cry.

She cried for Cal, she cried for Mitchell, she cried. Jack didn't say anything. He didn't really have to. Later, she was grateful he hadn't let her deal with it on her own, had let her soak his beloved hoodie with her tears. He didn't get angry at her again and she was grateful for that too. After all, he was only looking out for her. Just like Cal had been.

_Cal…_

"Dad?"

"Mm?" He gently brushed away her tears on his sleeve.

"Cal?"

"Still looking."

"I… I just wish I could help more." He nodded in understanding.

"Come on. Let's go home." Aliesha didn't resist, but she sent a final look Mitchell's way. She couldn't be sure, but was he frowning at the sky?

Before she could figure out what he was doing, Ryan had called him from the back door and Mitchell left.

* * *

**I think this is one of the longest chapters I've done for a ROTG fic :3 **


	9. Chapter 9

Sky found Cal. He was curled up, sitting amongst moss-coated tree roots, shivering and babbling. His hands were clenched in his hair, his eyes transfixed on something only he could see. Sky had seen fear before. This was different. This was _stronger_. Her worst nightmare would have been a paradise in comparison. There were literally no words to describe the state Cal was in. Scared, frightened, terrified, petrified, haunted- all too weak. All far too weak.

"Cal?" She alighted softly on the ground, moving slowly, like she would when approaching an injured animal. With some difficulty, his eyes flicked to her. She saw his pupils were dilated, a sliver of purple around them, unfocused. "Cal, it's me. Sky. Remember? I'm your friend." She stopped before him, kneeling and holding out her hand. He cringed away, sobbing and covering his eyes. "Cal?" He shook his head. "I can take you home. Do you want to go home?"

"Home..." He croaked, trembling viciously as he peeked at her through his fingers. The look he gave her- it made her feel like he was expecting her to go on a raving chainsaw massacre or something.

"Yes." She said gently. "Home." She offered her hand again. "You'll be safe there."

"Trust... you?"

"I'm your best friend. Of course you can trust me." He watched her unsteadily for a moment. In the silence, she could hear how heavily he was breathing. Panicking.

But he took her hand. He was too warm. She tried not to make him any warmer, keeping herself as cool as possible, but that wasn't enough. He gave into a warmth-induced sleep a quarter of the way home. He wasn't flying by himself. Sky hadn't noticed at first, but his staff was gone. It wasn't anywhere near where she had found him, leading her to suspect Pitch had taken it.

Without it, Cal was even more defenceless. Especially in his current condition. All the same, Sky doubted he was up to fighting if need be, whether he had his most trusted weapon or not.

* * *

Tooth and Aliesha were the first to see Sky drop in, literally _drop in_, with Cal slumped against her.

"Cal!" Aliesha cried, zipping forward. He stirred and his eyes opened a fraction, blearily. "Cal? Wake up." His brow furrowed and he did make an effort to keep his eyes open.

"Lish..."

"Get him to his room." Tooth ordered. "Sky, where was he?" Aliesha hovered for a moment, letting her brother lean against her. Sky rolled her shoulder and it clicked. "Aliesha!" Tooth gave her a pointed look. Aliesha hurried to obey, her brother's arm around her neck. A few fairies arrived to help, keeping Cal mostly upright.

Aliesha set Cal on his bed and he fell backwards. She propped him up, the fairies rearranging the pillows behind him.

"Cal?"

"Lish..." He had focused a bit more. "Lish..." He repeated. He smiled. "You... OK."

"Yes, I'm fine." Tears pooled in her eyes. This wasn't her brother. No jokes, no silliness, no hyperactivity, no nothing. Just constant shaking, an ill-focused gaze, the disbelief that she was here before him, that disorientated smile that faded, returned, faded, returned... "What happened?" Faded again. Stayed that way. His eyes widened, filled with tears. He shook his head, carried on shaking it. His breathing grew erratic, panicked. Mumbled indiscernible words. "Hey, hey. Don't break yourself." She took his hand in both of hers. "This little piggy went to market..." She pulled gently on his thumb. His attention snapped to her, he froze. "This little piggy stayed at home." This was a game they used to play when they were younger. If one of them was upset, the other would initiate this game. Instant and effective. "This little piggy had roast beef and this little piggy had none." She reached his little finger, smiling fondly. "And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home!" Her hands jumped and she attacked all his ticklish spots. He snorted with laughter, seemed surprised about it. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor. Aliesha smiled down at him from the bed. He looked a little stunned. "You OK down there?"

"Lish..." She held out her hand and pulled him back up. They sat either end of the bed. Cal grasped her hand tightly, turning her palm to the ceiling and tapping her palm with his finger. "Garden..."

"Oh." Another game. This time, he traced his finger around her palm, his hand shaking. She sang the song for him. "Round and round the garden, like an Easter hare, one egg, two eggs, a jackpot under there!" He chucked her under the chin and smiled. "I thought you didn't like that one."

"Do..." She returned his smile and shifted forward, hugging him.

"I'm so glad you're back, Cal." He tensed and looked up at her doubtfully. "You won't get me to repeat this, but I did miss you." He mumbled something back, resting his head on her shoulder. He fell asleep like that.

Aliesha stayed with him the rest of the night, dutifully keeping an eye on him. For an hour or so, he slept just fine. Aliesha fell asleep towards the end and then was awoken by crying and yelling.

Nightmares.

"Cal. Cal!" She tackled him, a full-on tackle. Pinned him to the floor, calling for their parents. Jack and Tooth appeared within the minute. Sandy was with them. "Cal!" She pinched his cheeks sharply and he inhaled, choking and coughing. Jack pulled her away and Tooth helped her son sit up.

"Breathe," she advised softly, brushing her hand through his hair, "it's alright, just breathe." Sandy inspected Cal once he started breathing in and out, albeit crazily. Images flashed above his head, too fast for Aliesha to comprehend. Her parents understood though. At least, Tooth did. Sandy was her best friend, of course she understood him.

Aliesha watched the colour drain from her mother's face, the nervous twitter of her feathers and wings.

"Tooth?" Jack asked.

"Cold." She instructed. Jack brought the temperature right down in the room. Tooth, to her credit, didn't even shiver. "Jack, we-" She glanced at Aliesha, falling quiet.

"What?" Aliesha demanded. "What is it?" She looked at Sandy. "Is he going to be OK?" Sandy shook his hand from side-to-side, fifty-fifty. "What do you mean?" Aliesha heard her voice getting louder and a little higher, but she had just got her brother back. He _had_ to be OK.

"Aliesha, go out for a second."

"No!"

"Aliesha!"

"No! You can tell me! I want to know!" Tooth and Sandy shared looks. "You're still treating me like a kid! Just tell me what's wrong with my brother!"

"_Fine_." Tooth growled, pushing back her feathers irritably. "Sandy said that if Cal is exposed to any more nightmare sand or whatever else Pitch does, he..." Her voice cracked. "He'll lose his mind completely."

* * *

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

It was Sky's turn to watch Cal. She didn't mind, but he kept starting new conversations based on old ones; "I'm like the gay best friend minus the gay bit?"

"Yes." Sky agreed.

"What if I was gay?"

"We'd have noticed and I'd be making plenty of gay jokes."

"Have you got something against gays?"

"No. I've just got something against you." He frowned, trying to piece that together in his mind. Sky waited patiently; a minute later, his eyes cleared and he pretended to sulk.

"I thought we were buddies." He sniffed. Sky teasingly shook her head and his shoulders drooped. "Oh... fine, I-I see where I stand now."

"Aah, finally. You're learning."

"Bound to happen at some point."

"Not what I was thinking." He made a face at her and sat back against the pillows. He had spontaneous quiet moments- it was during these that Sky really had to keep an eye on him. They were pretty sure he suffered from hallucinations, but they were so wacked and morbid and only there for less than half a minute, it was hard to tell. He could have been witnessing flashbacks of his ordeal at Pitch's hands, hallucinations, both. Or something else. That was what worried them most. What if they were wrong? What if something was happening below the surface and they couldn't tell?

Tooth's maternal fretting was starting to effect them all, so many 'what if's buzzing about their skulls like hornets on speed. Cal didn't really seem to notice. He spaced out quite often and for quite a while as well. So far, only his little sister had been able to pull him round from one of these, using their childhood games.

Sky thought it was sweet, but she didn't say it out loud. Cal remembered more about his little sister than he did himself. He asked her about 'the thing', which no one else seemed to understand; they played noughts and crosses, hangman, warped Pictionary and various other paper games alongside the 'This little piggy' and 'Round and round the garden' and patty cake. Cal focused more around Aliesha, his thoughts straying less and panic striking once in a blue moon.

"Did you know a blue moon is actually a thing?" Cal asked, as if reading her thoughts. "It comes about every two point seven years."

"Really?" He nodded.

"Father Knowledge told me." He puzzled for another moment. "Years ago. And owls are the only bird to see the colour blue. Penguins can jump six feet high. Elephants can't jump. How do you put an elephant in a fridge?"

"How?" Sky asked, suppressing a sigh. She had heard this one so many times before.

"You open the fridge, put the elephant in and close the door. How do you put a giraffe in the fridge?"

"How?"

"Open, take the elephant out, giraffe in, close door. A meeting for all the animals in the world is called. What animal won't be there?" Sky shrugged. "The giraffe 'cos it's in the fridge. You're stuck on an island in shark-infested waters. How do you escape?"

"I don't know."

"You swim. The sharks are at the meeting." He looked at her expectantly and she smiled.

"Very clever."

"I am, yes." He nodded. Yawned.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep?" He startled to full alert, shaking his head.

"No!"

"Cal, you're exhausted."

"But-" Sky moved from her chair and sat next to him.

"It's alright." She promised him. "I'll wake you if I have to." He shook his head again, his knuckles turning white from gripping the duvet so tightly. "Cal." She brushed his iridescent hair back from his forehead. She was jealous of his hair, not just because of the colours, but because it was always so soft and fluffy. Hers was like that once every two point seven years.

Cal rested his head on her shoulder, sighing.

"I don't want to go to sleep."

"You have to." He shook his head. Sky realised he was shaking. "Cal?"

"N-no. Won't..." He pulled back, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Sky grabbed his hand, crawling to sit in front of him.

"Hey, it's OK. You can sleep when you feel like it, alright?" He shook his head again. "Cal, you're safe now. We're all safe, I promise you." Another silent no. Tears. He didn't even bother to wipe them away, he was so oblivious.

Sky moved again, sitting more to his side and pulling him into a hug. She was a bit warm, but he didn't notice, hesitantly returning the friendly gesture. Within seconds, he was clinging to her as though she was the only thing left to cling to, to keep him relatively sane.

"Don't like this." He mumbled.

"Don't like what?"

"Scared. All the time. Not nice."

"I can only imagine." Sky said quietly. "But you don't have to be scared, Cal. No one here will hurt you."

"Pitch..."

"As if your mum would let him anywhere near you." He tensed. "Especially now." He said nothing, trembling. "Cal?" A chill worked its way down her spine. And then across her lower back and round her hip. She glanced down and saw a thin layer of glittering frost shuddering down her leg. "Cal, are you trying to freeze me?" She pinched his arm when she didn't get a reply and he jumped. Sky let him go and he sunk against the pillows once more. She stood up to survey her dress. "Now this is a pattern clash." She announced, heating up a little to melt the frost. "Honestly, you're the one who's supposed to have good fashion sense." He looked st her quizzically. "Gay best friend." She reminded him.

"I'm not gay."

"Sure?" He nodded. "Sure you're sure?" She teased. He made a face at her and then put a pillow over his head. "Oy! Rude." She tried to pry the pillow away, but he squirmed away, nudging her with his foot. "Nice socks." She laughed. He peered around the pillow.

"April got them."

"Explains the rabbits. Did Cal want cute ickle bunny wunnies on his fluffy wuffy socks?" Sky cooed mockingly. She thought he would throw the pillow at her. Instead, he kicked her off. "Rude!" She protested.

"You rude!" He countered from under the pillow.

"What are you doing, trying to suffocate yourself?" He didn't answer. "Cal..." She warned, picking herself up.

"No."

"Well, what then?"

"Pancakes."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"What-?" He dropped the pillow and looked at her. Looked at the window. "Cal?"

"Am I a good brother?" He asked her.

"I'd have thought so. You're always looking out for Lish."

"Then why does she say I'm not?"

"Who? Lish?" He nodded. "She doesn't. She says you're annoying from time to time, but all brothers are."

"You don't have brothers. How would you know?"

"I'm speculating. Shut up." He watched her for a moment.

"So, Lish doesn't hate me."

"Why would she?"

"I don't know. Where is she?"

"She'll be here in a bit, you can ask her then."

"How long is a bit?" Sky looked at the clock.

"About ten minutes." He furrowed his brow and turned to examine the clock himself.

"It's nearly eleven." Sky nodded. "What happened to eight?"

"What do you mean?"

"It was eight just now." Sky shook her head and he frowned. "It was." He insisted.

"How time flies when you're having fun." He blinked a few times, looked from her to the clock and back again. Confusion gradually cleared away and he nodded.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Flying time." He massaged his forehead, trying to figure out where three hours had gone. Sky had only been here for, what? An hour? Give or take twenty minutes. That still left over an hour and a half unchecked. Where had that gone?

* * *

**Not much I know, I'm really struggling at the moment.**

**I've been doing this thing all year where when I've finished a book, I write the name and author down on a bit of paper and put it in this jar. How many do you lot reckon I've read? Has anyone else done it? I'm going to do it next year as well, see if I can read more :D**

**If I don't update in time, Happy New Year!**


	11. Chapter 11

Aliesha went behind her father's back; she went to see Mitchell again. Cal, in his delirium, had requested it of her and then pulled himself together long enough to say he was being serious. "Good feeling," He mumbled, "about this."

Mitchell was in his room when she arrived. Thankfully, his room was cool with three standing fans and a ceiling fan compared to outside, where it had felt like she was melting. At first, she hadn't thought anyone was in as there was no car in the driveway. Then she spotted the open window and flown straight through.

Cooling her wings by a fan, Aliesha surveyed his room. For a boy, it was kind of tidy and didn't smell like a boys' locker room. The bed was unmade and he had cast his school bag and its contents about the room. None of this seemed to bother him- he was at his desk and furiously working at the computer, huffing irritably and smacking the keyboard. Books and sheets of printed notes were in piles and scattered all over the desk and surrounding floor.

Aliesha moved forward and saw he was researching Jack Frost.

His phone lit up on the bed and yelled at him, 'Warning! Warning! It's the wife!' Mitchell smirked and pushed away from the desk, spinning in his seat.

"Hello, wifey." He answered, whizzing back to the desk and putting the phone on a pile of books. Ryan's voice filled the room, irritated.

"You haven't changed that ringtone, have you?"

"Nope."

"Damn you, Titch, damn you." Mitchell laughed victoriously and Ryan sighed. "Where are you?"

"At home. Why?"

"Uh, _duh_. It's Wednesday. Cinema." Ryan added. Mitchell mouthed a curse. "You're not still obsessing over that Frost guy, are you? I'm telling you, there was nothing there! You were probably suffering from heat stroke or something."

"I know what I saw, Ryan. I'm not mad."

"Mitch, listen-"

"No. I'm going to figure this out. I _know _I saw him."

"Fine." Ryan's tone was curt and annoyed. There was a beep and the conversation was over. Mitchell cursed under his breath and tossed the phone back to his bed.

Aliesha examined Mitchell's notes, but they more or less stated Jack Frost was a mythical figure created to explain winter. She could see why Ryan would be annoyed with his best friend, but she wanted to push Mitchell into believing.

She turned all the fans off. Mitchell turned at the sudden silence in his room, frowning.

"Hello?" Mustering her concentration, Aliesha made it snow. Mitchell's face lit up and he jumped to his feet. "I knew it! Jack Frost!" He looked about excitedly, but saw no-one. Aliesha moved to the desk and picked up a pen and a bit of paper. Mitchell noticed the inanimate objects moving by themselves and watched, astounded, as the pen began to write.

_Jack Frost is real, the pen wrote, this is all real; all those childhood characters are real. Santa, Sandman, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. _

Aliesha paused as Mitchell breathed, "Awesome!"

_There are many more characters and I will tell you if you want to know. _

Mitchell frowned at the paper. "I?" He repeated. "Who is 'I'? Who are you? Am I hallucinating or is this actually happening?"

_I am Aliesha, daughter of Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy. You are not hallucinating, this is real. _

His frown eased slightly, but he still looked confused. "Why can't I see you?"

_You need to believe. _

Mitchell stared at those words, rereading everything. Aliesha watched his lips move as he read it all again for the fourth time. Then he startled.

And looked at her.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short after so long not updating. I've got another two or so chapters written for this as well and I have a few ideas for Max's story as well. Hopefully I can get those sorted. **

**I've also got a poll up for my HTTYD fic, so if you've read that, would you please vote on that because I want your opinions on something :D **


	12. Chapter 12

Aliesha set down the pen and paper.

"Hello." She said.

"You have feathers."

"Yes." Mitchell mentally slapped himself and turned back to his desk, yanking open a drawer and retrieving an old jam jar. Inside was a single, pastel blue feather.

"Is this yours?" Aliesha nodded and he grinned. "I found it by the tree and- _where you in my tree_?"

"Yes. The pond froze over. You saved a frog. Steve."

"So that feeling that I was being watched... that was _you_?" He paused, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Were you stalking me?"

"N-no, I-I..." Aliesha felt her face burn and Mitchell beamed at her. He opened the jar and handed back her feather.

"I knew I wasn't crazy! You have _wings_! Ooh, they're so pretty! So, you can fly?" Aliesha nodded, at a loss for words. "And the snow? That was you? Did you freeze the pond too?"

"No, my dad did. But I made it snow in here." It was still snowing, which was alright with her. Without the fans, there was nothing else keeping the summer heat away.

Mitchell dragged his swivel chair round and offered it to her, perching himself on the end of his bed.

"So tell me about these other characters." Aliesha did, starting with the more well-known figures to the seasonal spirits to the holiday spirits and then any others that didn't fit in any of those categories. She briefed him on some of the things each immortal could do; he seemed amazed that they were all immortal.

"Are you immortal then?"

"Yes."

"You'll look like this forever?"

"Yes." He nodded approvingly.

"I quite like the idea of this." He smiled. "How did you come into all of this then? How old are you?"

"I'm nearly fifteen- don't look so surprised, I'm a young immortal. I stopped aging about twelve so... I'm going to be short forever. My brother is highly pleased about that..."

"Your brother?" Aliesha nodded, pressing her lips together to try and stem the sudden flow of tears. "Hey," He said softly, leaning forward and resting a hand on her knee, "is everything alright?"

"I don't know." She admitted shakily, wiping at her eyes with trembling hands. "He's ill, really ill."

"What's wrong with him?" Aliesha explained about Pitch Black, about his treatment to Cal, the effects Cal still suffered from now. "I get a glimpse of the old him every now and then, but he's not getting better, not really."

"Can't someone help? All these immortals..." He looked at her questioningly.

"They're trying."

"And what about this Pitch guy? What's he doing?"

"Laying low for the moment, but he could turn up at any point. He has done for years."

"What about this man in the moon? Couldn't he just _zap _Pitch or something and make him go away? Or zap Cal so he's better?" Aliesha shook her head and Mitchell made a face. "I'm sorry, I'm not much help, am I?"

"It's alright; you're new to all of this." She looked down at the blue feather. "Here," she held it out to him, "you keep this."

"Really?" He asked excitedly. Aliesha nodded. "Thank you!" He twirled it in his fingers and ran his thumb carefully along it. "It's so soft. I thought it was a parrot or something at first, but that didn't sit right with me. Not sure why though. I don't really know birds."

"No, I don't know." She shrugged, getting to his feet and fluttering his wings.

"Are you leaving?" Mitchell looked crestfallen.

"I have to. My dad, um... well, I'm not supposed to be here anyway."

"Why?"

"Um... I- slightly overprotective dad."

"Ah." He gave a knowing smile. "Say no more." He got up too. "Do you have, like, a phone or something? Email? An address to write to you?"

"Um... no." Aliesha wasn't sure what an 'email' was, but decided against telling him that. "I'll try and come back, but Dad will go mad if he finds out."

"Don't get in trouble on my account. And I hope your brother gets better."

"Thank you." Aliesha smiled, moving to the window. Mitchell watched her go, wishing he could fly.


	13. Chapter 13

Aliesha had taken Cal out for a walk. He had been getting paranoid and stressed with his room. It had taken a whole hour's of wheedling to get Tooth to agree to letting Cal out, as long as they didn't go to far and _behaved_.

"So, how'd it go?"

"What?"

"With the thing." Mitchell.

"Oh." Aliesha felt her cheeks redden. Cal grinned slyly. "It, um, it went OK."

"Yeah?" He prompted, pulling away from her to sit on a rock. "Tell me what happened."

"Well," Aliesha sat next to him, flexing her wings nervously, "I told him about everyone. And he seemed really excited-"

"Wait." Cal held up his hand. "He sees you?" Aliesha nodded. "How?" She explained from the beginning. Cal didn't interrupt once, listening intently. It had been a while since Aliesha had seen her brother so focused and it came as a relief. "And then I left." His face fell in disappointment and he sulked for a moment. Aliesha waited patiently, watching him turn responses over in his mind.

"Are you going to see him again?"

"I don't know. I said I'd try, but it's getting around Dad."

"We'll figure something out. Maybe I could spontaneously combust or something, make a distraction."

"Spontaneously combust?" He nodded once, looking pleased with himself. "That... I don't think that's going to work. Well," She continued at his quizzical look, "you're a _winter _spirit and spontaneous combustion is, well, hot."

"Thank you." She smacked his arm. "And I could do an opposite of spontaneously combusting. I could explode into snowflakes and good looking hair."

"I see your humour is intact."

"Can't take that away from me." He gave a cheeky salute and then patted her arm a little awkwardly, but he smiled all the same. "Don't you worry though, we'll sort something out. Get you back to your boo." He fell quiet, resting his head against her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

"Um, OK, I think." He thought for a moment. "Sometimes, I'll be alright. And then..." His expression darkened and terror seeped into his eyes. Aliesha took his hand and he smiled- a small, wavering, but grateful smile all the same.

"It'll be fine, you'll see. Don't worry."

"Using my own advice against me. Very clever."

"That's just me. Very clever."

"Fatheaded, more like."

"Oh, I'm _insulted_." She pretended to flounce off. Cal stumbled after her, making chicken noises. "You're such a pain." She laughed, linking her arm with his.

"I aim to please, sis."

"Cal! Lish! Inside!" Tooth was flying towards them. Jack and some of the fairies weren't far behind. "Go!" She reprimanded.

"Come on." Cal tugged on her arm and headed back to the Tooth Palace. Their parents carried on past them, yelling at them to hurry up.

"Shouldn't we help?"

"No." But he didn't sound so sure, glancing back worriedly. Aliesha made to look too, but he hurried her along.

"Cal!" She protested. "What's going on?"

"Pitch." He mumbled, massaging his chest. Her anger died down to a low simmer. "Let's get you to your room, come on."

"No, I'll stay with you."

"But-"

"I am not leaving you alone with him out there." She took his hand again and marched off. Her room was safer, trickier to get to if Pitch ever got past their parents.

From her room, they heard the distant explosions and sounds of battle. Part of the Palace, from the sound of it, had fallen away, cascading against the barricades and shattering on the ground. Cal was on her bed, knees drawn to his chest and hands over his ears. Aliesha sat with him for a while, trying to comfort him as best she could. Nothing worked.

Her nerves were fraught within twenty minutes. She was up and out the window before Cal could argue.

Cal hurried forward, tripping on the bedframe. He caught a glimpse of her tail feathers whip around the corner and then she was gone. With his staff gone, he couldn't fly. But that didn't stop him. Aliesha was going to get herself in trouble and he had to do something.

Easing himself out the window, he scanned the many turrets below him. He dropped to one, then another and another. He felt dizzy and his limbs trembled, but he couldn't let his little sister get hurt. He forced himself on, propelling himself onwards, grappling at ledges and swinging to another spot to continue.

He caught up minutes later, but it felt like hours. Pitch was holding up a little too well, but Jack, Tooth and the fairies were relentless. Aliesha was zeroing in on the few nightmares that galloped forth from Pitch's power, freezing and slamming them into disintegration. Jack hurtled towards Pitch, dumping a vast dollop of winter on the Nightmare King's head. Pitch crawled away and dissolved into darkness. A wave of his power buried Jack. Tooth screamed and dived to help, leaving Pitch free to turn on Aliesha.

Cal fell to the floor, landing in a snow drift. Tooth unburied Jack's staff and chucked it aside in her desperation to get her husband. Cal snatched it up. Energy flood through her and he zoomed up.

Aliesha deflected a dark sand attack with a flurry and sent ice shards thundering towards her foe. Pitch twisted away and summoned another tsunami of his element, building it up into a lorry-sized, writing mass of evil.

It span towards her, screeching. Aliesha tried to summon a defence in her panic, but wasn't fast enough.

A shadow fell over her and something bright yellow obscured her view. She screamed, tried to push him away, but Pitch had won. Dark sand clawed along her arms, tearing at her feathers and snatching away her breath.

Light returned. Their father's staff slipped from Cal's fingers and he fell.

"Cal!" Tooth cried. Jack was free, dazed, and had cottoned on. They shot up, catching their son. Jack retrieved his staff easily and they landed. Pitch had disappeared.

Aliesha flew down, crashing through a snow mound and fumbling, rolling a few times before righting herself. Her parents were huddled either side of her brother. Tooth was sobbing.

Cal was... colourless. His eyes grey, his hair white, his skin paler than ever before. Even his Pikachu hoodie had lost some of its luminance.

"We told you to go in!" Jack raged. Aliesha burst into tears and crumpled against Cal, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

He was gone. And it was all her fault.

* * *

**I still have a poll up, in case you haven't voted yet :) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Coming back to this now, the long-awaited chapter from a very mean and very lazy writer, I can't apologise enough.**

* * *

"Cal!" Aliesha cried, shaking her brother by the shoulders. His head simply fell back. Jack pulled her away, resisting her attempts to return to Cal's side. "No, he has to wake up, he has to! Cal!"

"Aliesha, stop." Jack's heavy voice made her freeze. Tooth was cradling her firstborn, oblivious to the tears flooding her cheeks. Her hand repeatedly passed through Cal's hair, as though the white was dust and ash, concealing the true colours of it. Aliesha's chest tightened and she hiccupped, turning away, hiding her face in the crook of her father's arm. Jack put his other arm around her. The outer walls of the palace where in ruins. The ground had been torn up, coated in nightmares and ice. Fairies were gathering around them, some flying, some too exhausted to even stand, huddled on the floor. A few made their way to their queen, attempting to smooth her feathers, offering what little consolation they could, looking to each other helplessly. Cal was a brother to them too, he helped them, he protected them, he _loved_ them.

And Aliesha had destroyed it all. This was her fault. If she had just stayed put, if she had just _waited_, Cal would be alright. He would be sat on her bed, ears covered and eyes shut, scared beyond all reason, but alright. Now she was without a brother, her parents without a son, the fairies without a guardian.

"Oh no..." Jack glanced to his left. Eve had arrived with his seasonal cousins. "No..." Eve breathed shakily. "No, this isn't right..." April and Amber were crying. Sky couldn't process it. Eve looked as guilty as Aliesha felt.

"Eve?" Jack asked, tone desolate.

"Manny said- he told me... he lied..." Aliesha sniffed, lifting her head a fraction. _Manny_...

"What did he say?" Sky's voice was as devoid as Jack's, unable to look away from her best friend's lost vibrancy. Eve took a trembling breath, holding her hands out, she meant no harm now or then.

"He told me Cal would survive the attack, he told me Pitch wouldn't go for Cal. Pitch wouldn't go for Cal... he just... it's not like him, Cal was... a- a work of art in Pitch's eyes, a fine example of... of fear-bred insanity. A token. From him to... to us. To remind us what happens if... if... to remind us what it's like when Pitch wins..." Aliesha scrubbed her arm across her face, stubbornly fighting the emotion. "This wasn't supposed to happen, what... why?"

"I came out to help." Aliesha admitted. "Cal came out to stop me."

"No." Tooth croaked. "He would never stop you." She locked eyes with her daughter. "He came out to help _you_." Tooth shook her head, more tears falling. "Cal knows... he knew we could take care of ourselves. But he couldn't let his little sister go against Pitch on her own." She whispered. "Oh, Cal..."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Amber implored, addressing Jack. The winter spirit shook his head. Amber turned to Eve. "Pitch is your brother. What can combat his nightmares?"

"Sandy. But..."

"But what?" April squeaked. Eve hesitated. Tooth answered for her.

"Jack was killed by the darkness too." All eyes landed on Jack. "At least... until Pitch had use for him. If what Eve said is right... then... then Pitch doesn't have... a use for Cal. Not anymore."

"We're just going in circles!" Aliesha snapped. "Is there a way to bring Cal back or not?" No-one answered. She stomped her foot and shot up into the darkening sky. "Manny!" She screamed, rocketing through the clouds and glaring up at the stars. "Manny!" The moon seemed to stare at her with its craters and impressions, a knowing vibe throwing her senses. "Help Cal!" She ordered.

_I cannot._

"Yes you can!"

_What makes you think that_? Aliesha glowered. _Child, some matters are out of my control. There is nothing I can do_.

"You're lying!"

_Darkness has taken the boy. _

"Darkness can give him back then!" Manny stayed quiet. "Or you could be helpful for a change! Make light or something, BRING HIM BACK!"

_Make light_? _Why, Aliesha, it is not me who should make the light. _

"What?"

_Everyone has their own tunnels. Everyone has their own lights at the end of them. Cal's tunnel is shortening by the second, his light is dying. _

"What are you saying? Are you saying there's still a chance?" Silence. "ANSWER ME!" But Manny didn't. Jack had followed her. "Dad..."

"What did he have to say?"

"Something ridiculous about tunnels and lights and-"

"Oh." Something seemed to occur to Jack. Aliesha started to speak, but he raised his hand, quietening her. He was looking down, scanning the clouds. Then he inspected the stars. "Dad? What is it?" Jack didn't respond, slowly drifting upwards, thinking. Aliesha buzzed to his side. "Dad, please talk to me." Jack's attention swivelled to the moon, his thoughts whirring faster the more that passed between him and Manny. He grew annoyed, angry, then determined.

Finally, he focused on his daughter.

"We need a star."


	15. Chapter 15

**Happy New Year everyone!**

* * *

"Dad, do you realise how _crazy_ that sounds? How are we supposed to get a _star_? They're balls of gas a million miles away!" Jack sighed. "Don't you give me that attitude." Aliesha warned. "If we need a star, can't we just kidnap a celebrity or something?"

"A what now?"

"You really need to watch TV."

"What?"

"Doesn't matter. How, by some miracle we actually pull this off, is a _star_ supposed to help Cal?"

"Every Guardian has a star." Jack started calmly. "You'll probably know Peter Pan's one-"

"Second star to the right."

"Exactly. Stars are often used in fairy tales, are they not?" Aliesha shrugged. Jack sighed again. "OK, to put it simply, every Guardian has a star to symbolise when he or she was made a Guardian. That star lives as long as the Guardians do which, in effect, could be forever. These stars aren't like those ones you were talking about, although they do blend in. Cal has a star. Usually only he could find, only a Guardian can find their own star, but this is an emergency. The person Cal trusted most would be able to find his star to help him."

"Help him how?"

"The star holds the key to our Guardianship."

"I thought that was that centre business?"

"No, that's part of it. The more well-known part of it." He added at her look of confusion.

"OK, so let's just say this star idea works. Who will be able to find it?"

"Whoever Cal trusted most."

"And that would be...?"

"Um... well, trust comes in many different forms."

"So you're saying it could be anyone?"

"No."

"You've lost me." Aliesha admitted. Jack just nodded, thinking, drumming his fingers against the curve of his staff. Aliesha stayed quiet, letting him mull over his thoughts. The other seasonal spirits joined them after helping Tooth get Cal to his room. "Ever heard of a Guardian star?"

"I have!" April exclaimed happily, gaining bewildered looks from her cousins. "Don't look at me like that, I do _learn_ things too, you know!"

"Never said you didn't, it's just..." Sky trailed off.

"I know something you don't know, I know." April smiled, proud of herself. "Guardian stars are _amazing_. Not all the Guardians can get their stars though, they need to fly for that, what with stars being up there and all." She waved her hand at the sky. "Ooh, are we looking for Cal's star?" Jack nodded, emerging back into focus. "Who does Cal trust the most then? I bet it's me, he _loves_ me."

"We're back to normal now." Sky sighed in relief. "No, Cal wouldn't trust you the most, you tried to feed him daisy roots."

"They're nutritious!"

"They had mud on!"

"Little bit of mud never hurt anyone!"

"Landslides." Sky shot back. April gaped at her. "Anyway, who does he trust most?"

"We're trying to figure that out." Aliesha told them. "Dad reckons there are all different kinds of trust though, so..." She shrugged. "We may be here a while."

"We don't have long though. You heard what Manny said about the tunnel lights."

"Is he _really_ still using that metaphor?" Sky huffed. "Honestly, Manny needs some modernization." Amber nodded in agreement. April was still smarting from the landslides remark. "Right, there is familial trust, friendship trust, romantic trust and... uh..."

"Trust of self," Eve picked up, "trust of enemies- yes, that's a thing, you can always trust your enemies to do something to annoy you. Loyalty trust, royal trust and trust funds."

"Trust doesn't sound like a word anymore, it's been said too much." Aliesha's brow furrowed. "Cal doesn't have a romantic trust, so we can rule that one out. And trust funds. Seriously?" Eve nodded. "Cross that out too." Aliesha sighed, scratching at the back of her neck. "Familial trust?"

"Probably your mother." Jack chipped in. "She's the one who's been around him the longest, it just makes sense." His expression darkened.

"You alright, Dad?"

"Fine." He muttered. "Friendship trust... probably you, Sky."

"_Me_?"

"You try to kill him the most." Jack shrugged. "That's how friendships work in Cal-Land."

"True."

"Trust of self is out as well." Amber said thoughtfully. "Loyalty trust, royal trust and trust of enemies can't be anything useful either. Cal's loyalty lies with his family, friends, the kids of the world, the Guardians... big numbers. Royal trust is... mad. I know Tooth's the Queen of Tooth Fairies, which would technically make Cal the Prince of Tooth Fairies... which comes back to his family again, seeing as fairies are made from Tooth's feathers and old teeth-"

"What?" Jack marvelled.

"Read the latest Christmas one-shot, it explains it all." Aliesha clapped her hands over her mouth. "What am I _saying_? What just happened?!"

"Fourth wall breakage. That's Cal's thing!" Sky reprmanded playfully. "Look, we don't have much time if we want to help Cal, especially if Manny's going on about tunnels and lights again. Let's just round up everyone who is a potential most trusted and spread out. Cal's star can't be far, surely? He hardly gets out much."

"What about Mam though?" Aliesha worried. "She won't leave Cal on his own."

"Sandy is his best defence."

"Ooh, and Bunny!" April gushed. "I love Bunny."

"We know." Her cousins chorused. Aliesha did a double-take. "Oh, come _on_." Jack shook his head at her. "That is as obvious as Cal's hoodie, did you _really_ not see that?" Aliesha put her hands on her hips.

"Does Bunny?"

"Fair point." He took a deep breath. "OK, ladies, spread out. I'll sort Tooth out. If you find the star, send a signal to the Tooth Palace and we'll send some fairies out to round everyone else up. April, focus." Jack added. "Stay on mission and I'll see what I can do for you with Bunny." April gasped.

"_Really_?" Jack nodded. "Oh moon and stars, thank you!" April tackled him in a hug, knocking him out of the sky. The others laughed.

"Are you alright, Dad?"

"Peachy." Jack spat April's hair from his mouth. "Get off."

"One last hug!" April squeezed him. "OK!" She jumped to her feet. "Bunny, here I come."

* * *

**Best of 2016 wishes to you all, have a good one! :D **


	16. Chapter 16

Aliesha had set off to the north. Jack had told her to look out for a star that wasn't with the other stars. "Like an independent star that floats closer to the ground. Just grab it and bring it back." Aliesha, having sat in some of Mitchell's classes, knew a bit more about stars than her father; "Just grab it, it won't burn your hands at all. That's if you can actually hold it in the first place, considering it's made of gas." She huffed angrily. "Brilliant. Just brilliant. Grab a star. Genius. Why didn't I think of that? Oh, I know why! It's completely insane! Stars can't live in the Earth's atmosphere, you can't just _grab_ one, what the hell am I supposed to do now?" She punched through a couple of clouds and yelled in frustration. She stopped and glared at her surroundings, up at the stars and made a very rude gesture at Manny, something her mother would undoubtedly chop her hands off for. "You're supposed to know everything! Why is it so difficult to give straight answers!? You're about as helpful as a wet paper bag! Why can't you just do something because it's the right thing to do?! That's right, just ignore me, you're best at that! You can never _just_ help!"

She raged and kicked at clouds. "I JUST WANT TO HELP CAL, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?" Aliesha lobbed a handful of snow and ice through the sky, screaming a few choice words. It helped, it cleared her head, blew some steam. Her thoughts clicked into place. "I'm not the one to find the star. Am I? I'm his sister, does he not... does he not trust _me_?"

_He trusted you to keep him sane. He does not trust those he does not trust around you. Cal would do anything to keep you from harm, even if it meant his own life. He is like Jack that way._

"Like Ja- Dad? Wait, who's going to find his star then? Will someone find his star?"

* * *

Sky had gone in the opposite direction to Aliesha, heading towards the warmer regions. It wasn't nighttime entirely, but some stars were out. Guardian stars were always out, just not always visible. She wondered what Cal's star would look like it if she was the one to find it. She probably wasn't, that would either be Aliesha or Tooth, maybe even Jack to some extent. Sky hummed to herself as she flew, trying to stay optimistic. Cal's star would be found, of course it would.

Steering herself up, she disappeared into the thin streams of clouds. No fairies had found her as of yet, so she assumed no-one had found the star. "Come on," She murmured to herself, "twinkle, twinkle little star, show yourself before I go far. Right now." She added, breaking tune. "I've been searching for hours now, do you know how many ice-cream stands I've passed? And the beaches! Moon and stars..." Sky stopped, hovered and looked around. A few seagulls flew laps around her, squawking a greeting and spiralling away. "Right, if I was Cal, I would want my star to be... colourful and... probably cold, he hates hot weather. Probably best if I don't find it. And it would have to be different from everyone else's, which doesn't help considering I don't know what everyone else's looks like. Ugh, _Cal_... you're such a pain."

After taking a quick break- with ice-cream- Sky resumed her search, flying as high as she dared and looking down at everything. It was too warm here for Cal, so his star probably wasn't here. Maybe if she flew further from the equator, but she couldn't get too cold. That's why Aliesha and Jack had gone North and South. Amber and April had gone East and West. The other Guardians had fanned out to cover more ground. Well, more star-space.

Sky sighed. The ideal climate for Cal's star would be somewhere cold and with pretty colours. The only place that sprung to mind was Alaska and even then she wasn't sure that was right. Her geography was a bit... no, tell the truth, very, very _bad_. "No, there has to be somewhere Cal would like just as well. Somewhere that's nice, somewhere interesting, somewhere..." She struggled for a moment, forcefully pulling her memories and thoughts together. Cal had been all over the world almost, helping his mother and the other fairies, but he hadn't been to... "Haiwaii. He's always wanted to go to Haiwaii because of Stitch. Moon and stars, that's it!" She shot off, chanting _Haiwaii, Haiwaii, Haiwaii _to herself over and over. She was flying so fast, she nearly missed the tropical island, crashing landing in the ocean. The waters were warm, but not warm enough. Sky shivered as she stumbled onto the beach, wringing her hair out. It would be a while before she could reheat/fly. They didn't have the time.

Thinking quickly, she hurried across the beach, stealing a couple of towels to hurriedly dry herself down. She found a new pastel blue summer dress in one of the shops, going barefoot the rest of the way, helping herself to a coffee to get her central heating back on line.

Buzzing with energy, she took haphazardly to the sky. It would take another hour or so before her natural warmth returned, but she had to make do. Cal was at stake. She couldn't lose him, she couldn't lose her best friend. Admittedly, he drove her crazy with his stupid jokes and pranks and the odd questions that he asked. Heck, Sky hadn't really liked him that much originally. Tooth had sorted that out. Now, she could hardly imagine life without that idiot. When it was them against the others, it was brilliant, she had never had so much fun and she was the spirit of summer fun. Cal was her polar opposite, like his father, and yet... he was like her clone, in a strange way. The other side of the scales, waving cheekily at her with that weirdly entrancing multi-coloured hair, those mauve eyes that lit up whenever he had an idea.

Cal needed her help, so she was going to help him to the best and beyond of what she could. He would do the same for her. "I'll do it, Cal. Pitch can throw whatever tricks he likes at me, I will burn his face off. No-one keeps me from my best friend."

That's when it happened. She was stopped short, as though something was tugging on her new dress, like a little child awaiting her attention. Turning, she was blinded. Bright lights zapped across her vision; blues, greens and purples. Cal's colours! "Where?" Sky yelled. "Where are you?" She blinked the dots from her gaze, hastily scanning the sky. "There! What, why am I finding this?" The star was a sphere throwing all those colours out like the Northern Lights. "Whoa. Cal? Why me? I could melt this thing." She poked it experimentally; it simply rocked to and fro. "Wow. Oh moon and stars, I've got to take this back! Hold on, let me just... uh... not melt it..." Taking off her straw hat, she carefully scooped the star into it. "I have the star. I HAVE THE STAR! WHY DO I HAVE THE STAR? WHY DOES HE TRUST ME MOST? I COULD KILL HIM ACCIDENTALLY, I'M TOO HOT! LIKE, TEMPERATURE-WISE! OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I SOUND LIKE CAL NOW, I'VE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME WITH THAT IDIOT!"

* * *

"I'VE GOT THE STAR!" Sky yelled, dropping into the Tooth Palace. Fairies instantly departed to round up the others. Another directed her to Cal's room. "TOOTH, I'VE GOT THE STAR!"

"Why are you shouting?" Tooth asked quietly, bewildered. "Wait, you've got the star?"

"I'VE GOT THE STAR!"

"YOU'VE GOT THE STAR!" Tooth leapt up, eagerly taking the hat and sobbing when she saw its contents. "Cal, she's got the star! You're going to be OK!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Sky snatched her hat back, Tooth took the star in the same moment, clutching it to her chest. Pitch stood by the door, hand out. "Give me the star and no-one else gets hurt."


	17. Chapter 17

**This is a very fast moving chapter, just bear with me, OK?**

* * *

"Hand over the star or I'll rip his heart out."

"Now that's a bit drastic, don't you think?" Sky clenched her fists. "You've done enough damage. I suggest you leave."

"Or what?" Pitch snarled. "Oh, you're making the room warmer. I'm terrified." The nightmare king glowered at the fairy. "The star. Now!" Tooth looked to her son's comatose form, Sky's determined expression. A single nod from the summer spirit and she held her hand out. Pitch smirked and snatched it away. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" He started to crush the star in his hand, when a strange noise drew his attention. He stared about the room, confused. A white blur slammed into him, yelling. The ground vanished from under his feet, the wall snapping behind his back. He and his attacker crashed through the wall, slaloming into the floor. The air whooshed from his lungs, the star bouncing from his fingers. Stars danced in his eyes, white hot agony exploded across his left cheekbone, the right side of his jaw, his nose.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY BROTHER FROM ME?" Aliesha screamed, landing hit after hit, summoning all her rage, all her frustration, all her _hatred_ of this man, this _beast_. She snatched up a slab of plaster and brought it down on his head, the heavy material cracking in her hands. Pitch passed out, eyes crossed. Rolling and kicking him away, she grabbed at the star, stomping through the destruction. She raised the star above her head, digging her fingernails into the cracks Pitch had already made. Tooth started to speak, throwing her hands out. Aliesha ignored her, slamming the star down, straight through Cal's chest. The lights ruptured from the crystalline structure, dashing about Cal's body, lacing under his arms, criss-crossing across his chest, throwing themselves about until they covered him entirely.

Tooth watched from behind her fingers. Jack tumbled through the window, tripping over himself in his rush. He staggered to his feet, frantically searching. He frowned at the chaos and Pitch unconscious on the floor, then gaped at the colourful display that was his son. His lips moved quietly, _what_? None of the women noticed, Aliesha glaring at her brother, willing this to work, her eyes burning. The lights shimmered away. Jack joined his wife, tucking an arm around her shoulders. Tooth sniffed and leant against his chest, disappearing entirely behind her hands. Sky bowed her head.

Aliesha fumed. "Cal!" She scolded. "We did not just go through _all_ that trouble for you to lay there like some dying fish! WAKE UP!" He started coughing. Tooth gasped, grabbing him by the shoulders as he choked. She pulled him into a sitting position, great shuddering breaths racking his frame. "Cal!" Aliesha beamed. He groaned and flopped back, arms over his head. Aliesha laughed, bouncing on the bed next to him. "Get up, get up! You idiot!" He peered at her from between his arms. Aliesha grabbed him in the biggest hug she had ever given anyone and started crying. "Cal, I'm sorry. This is all my fault, if I'd just stay'd put, you would have been alright. I'm a horrible sister, I don't deserve to have you for a brother."

"Lish..." Cal croaked. His fingers brushed her cheek, trembling as they tried to abate her tears. He said nothing else, mind wandering elsewhere. A shiver warped through him. His hand steadied and he started laughing. He scooped her in a mega-hug of his own. Aliesha's voice wedged in her throat and she hiccupped in surprise. "Don't you _ever _apologise to me, Lish. You're _my_ sister and nothing is going to change that, do you hear me?" He took her face in his hands and held her at half an arm's length, looking her dead in the eye. His hair was its mess of colours, his eyes as purple as ever, gleaming with all the vitality of the good old Cal, pale as a Frost should be, even the yellow of his Pikachu jacket brighter than ever before. His thumbs traced semi-circles under her eyes and he grinned, squishing her cheeks. "Who da fish?" Despite herself, Aliesha laughed. "Blub, blub, blub." Cal chimed, mouthing like a goldfish.

"Oh!" Tooth sobbed happily, fanning herself. "Oh, my babies are OK!" She trapped them in her arms, Jack with her. Cal sneezed and they all toppled from the bed, landing at Sky's feet in a hysterical heap.

"Three Guardians and a frost fairy at my feet. The possibilities are endless."

"Sky!" Cal jumped to his feet, arms out wide. "You found my star!"

"I found your star!" The pair hugged, briefly, as she was still warm. Jack made it snow, cooling his children down. "But Alisha made it work?"

"Of course she did. There is only woman I'd trust with my life, I'm afraid to say. Don't get jealous, but my sister comes first."

"What about your mother?" Tooth demanded, hands on her hips.

"You're scary." Cal admitted. "Whoa, what happened to Pitch?"

"Your sister."

"Moon and stars, he's got a brick in his head! Aliesha!" He folded his arms and fixed her with a stern look. Then he started laughing. "Serves the bastard right!"

"Cal!" Tooth and Jack scolded together. Their son cackled and bounced excitedly. He jabbed a finger at Pitch.

"Get up, you lazy ass." He ordered. Pitch's eyes snapped open and he rose, swaying. Jack readied his staff, Tooth and Aliesha rising off the ground. "Ah." Cal half-bowed in their direction. "Allow me." He threw out his hand, blue light spiralling against his palm. It elongated, curving at one end, taking form of his beloved staff. "There we go. Oooh, this is going to be _fun_." He grinned menancingly. Pitch noticed, stumbling back. "Ah, Pitchy-boo, don't be like that. I thought we bonded."

"You... no, that's not possible." Pitch stammered. Cal took a step forward, lashing out with his new staff. Pitch tried to dissolve into his shadows. Cal yanked him back.

"Tut tut, Pitch! Stay and play!" Cal swung his weapon around, lobbing Pitch straight through the open window. He darted after him, up and out the window, free-falling after him. His family followed, Sky close on their heels. Ice and dark sand snapped back and forth, cracking the air like thunder, bursts of light that burned into their eyes, searing across their retinas. Cal was giving Pitch no chance, no pause, no moment for even a breath. He was here, he was there, he was everywhere at once, he was nowhere, Pitch couldn't land a hit no matter how hard he tried. The greyness of his skin, the dark of his robes grew paler and paler, frost and snow, winter at its very finest and most ferocious. Cal charged him from all sides, finally tackling him. They rolled through the sky, the second generation winter sprite adding to his sister's earlier assaults. He raised his staff above his head, drawing forth all his power, using Pitch to spring up into the sky. Pitch could do nothing to right himself. "AND THIS," Cal raged, "IS FOR HURTING MY FAMILY!" He swung his staff down, everything he could muster an avalanche five thousand feet up roaring down like death itself.

Cal's breaths heaved, gaze venomous as he watched the hurtling descent of his previous gaoler. Aliesha started towards him when he dived suddenly.

"Cal!" She called despairingly. Her father hauled her back, all of them having retreated inside. When she fought, he simply pointed up. "What is that?"

"One of Pitch's storms."

"But- how?"

"I don't know..." Jack leant out the window as far as he dared, keeping a wary eye on the menace above. Tooth joined him, a pair of binoculars in her hands.

"There!" She shoved the instrument into her husband's hands and he zeroed in on their son's location, swearing colourfully.

"Lish, don't repeat that. What the hell does he think he's playing? CAL!" He yelled. Thunder boomed, making Aliesha jump.

"What's he doing?" She squeaked. Neither of her parents answered. She squeezed between them, snatching the binoculars and looking for herself. It took a second to find Cal in the mayhem that was brewing. He had caught Pitch by the wrist, their powers combined thrashing around them, trapped in some hellish orb, backfiring. As she watched, the winter took over the darkness, Pitch seemed to get smaller and smaller, desperate, weaker, each second that passed grew closer to his ultimate destruction. "Cal..." She breathed. "Mam, what's he doing? Why's he doing that?" Tooth just shook her head, lost for words. Jack was chewing his lip, the scarlet stain a horrific contrast to the rest of him.

Sky alone seemed calm. "Sky?" Aliesha marvelled.

"Trust in Cal. He may not always look like it, but he knows what he's doing."

"But... he's insane!"

"Granted." Aliesha looked back to see the nightmare king had fully dissolved now, what was left of him creeping across Cal.

"No! We just got him back, don't take him again!" Tooth grabbed at the binoculars and Aliesha could see no more.

Down below, Cal was willing the very essence of Pitch to gather in one place, in the hook of the staff he still amazed himself with for having summoned. It was one heaving and writhing mess of putrid chaos, growling and hissing, cursing and whispering false promises and hints of despair, the Dark Ages reborn!

"Shut up." Cal told it, spinning the staff to throw the demonic ball off its bearings. "Here, Manny. Catch." He hurled his collection straight up, sending it further with a quick burst of winter. It vanished into the night sky quickly enough. Cal waited until Manny pinged him. Then he returned home.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Tooth bore down on him like a bull to a red flag.

"Yes." Cal answered calmly.

"YOU HAVE LITERALLY BEEN ON YOUR FEET FOR FIVE MINUTES AND YOU DECIDE TO COMPLETELY OBLITERATE PITCH? I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S NOT A BAD THING, BUT DAMMIT, CAL! YOU ARE GROUNDED, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"I think everyone can hear you, Mam."

"DON'T YOU BE CHEEKY WITH ME, GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

"I'm already in my room!" Tooth burned crimson. Jack flashed his son a warning look. "You know, I don't like this room anymore, I might try one of the others..."

"OH NO YOU DON'T, YOU ARE STAYING HERE! ALIESHA, KEEP HIM OUT OF TROUBLE! SKY, BURN HIM IF HE EVEN TRIES TO LEAVE!" Sky grinned wickedly at that. Tooth stormed out. Cal smiled sheepishly at his father, hunching his shoulders. Jack just chuckled.

"Ah, it'll be alright. Let her calm down first, you maniac."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm mad alright, but I think she's got it covered. Welcome back, kiddo."

"Thanks Dad. I've really missed you guys."

"And we've all missed you. Sky included. She's just too proud to admit it."

"Like I'm going to miss his dumb jokes and puns."

"You just missed my charming smile instead." Jack rolled his eyes and left, smiling to himself. Cal stuck his tongue out at him then gasped excitedly. "Lish! Oh, you're my favourite sister, look at you! You punched Pitch in the face _and _gave him a brick for a brain!" Cal squashed her in a hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"What are you talking about? _You_ made Pitch space-dust!"

"He had that coming, don't worry about it!"

"Is he ever going to come back?" Sky asked.

"I don't know. I just space-dusted him, I don't even know how that happened. Maybe it's this star thing, put me in league with my space homies up there."

"You're such an idiot." Aliesha hugged him tightly. "Dad's right though, we've all missed you." Cal bear-hugged her, kissing her feathery head.

"I love you, sis."

"I love you too, you knucklehead."

"How's it going with the Thing?"

"Well..." Aliesha glanced at Sky and then looked helplessly at her brother. "Go." Cal said seriously. "I'm not stopping you."

"Really?"

"Go! Before I come to my senses!" He blew a raspberry on her cheek and she squealed in disgust, flying out the window. "Ah, I love being an older brother."

"What's this _Thing_ you two keep talking about?"

"Oh, just a thing. Did ya miss me? Come on, admit it, you missed me." He elbowed her playfully, winking. He expected her to punch him or kick him to the floor, not grab him by the front of his jacket and kiss him.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Abaha-wha?"


	18. Chapter 18

Aliesha was unaware of her brother's immense shock and confusion back at the Tooth Palace. She had flown as quickly as she could all the way to London, buzzing excitedly. Her brother was himself once more, he was free from Pitch's control and he was back, she had her brother back! She was so _thrilled_, it completely slipped her mind that Mitchell might be asleep at two o'clock in the morning. She fazed through his window, calling his name loudly. He started with a snort, hand scrabbling across his face.

"Wazzat?" He mumbled sleepily, bleary-eyed. His bedside lamp flicked on and he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Aliesha? Do you immortals ever sleep?" He rambled around under the duvet, emerging to pull his pyjama trousers up. "Is everything OK?"

"Cal's better!"

"Your brother?" Aliesha nodded. Mitchell managed a sleepy smile. "That's brilliant! Hold on, let me just..." He stumbled from his room. Aliesha alighted and followed quietly. "I need caffiene, this is too early for me."

"Won't you stay awake for longer then?"

"It's Saturday. I can sleep later." He padded down the stairs, skipping the last step. "That squeaks, mind." He told her. She fluttered over it, swinging around the end of the bannister. Mitchell disappeared through a door to their left; another light came on.

"A mortal kitchen. It's so tiny."

"Yeah, but there's only three of us. Do you want a coffee?"

"Um... no?" He just nodded, propping his elbows on the counter and dozing. "Are you alright?" He hummed. Aliesha spotted a kettle and picked it up. When it started boiling, he pinched his arm, shaking his head.

"Sorry. It takes me a while to wake up."

"That's fine." Aliesha laughed. Mitchell set himeslf the task of finding his mug and the coffee jar. Aliesha nosed in his cupboards and the fridge, fascinated with the mortals' way of living. "Ooh, this is colder than the top fridge. Ice-cream!" Mitchell chuckled. "And you have snow in here!"

"It's a freezer, Lish."

"For ice-cream and snow?"

"For frozen foods. Ice-cream, meats, ready-meals, that sort of thing." She shut it and started playing with the washing machine. Mitchell let her, too uncaffienated for her amazement. "That's a blender. You put food in it and blend it into a smoothie. You should try one of them. Later though, the blender's noisy, it'll wake my parents." Aliesha nodded, playing with the hourglass. Mitchell fixed his coffee, breathing in the rich scent. "OK, tell me what happened with your brother."

"We found out that his star could help change him back to normal-"

"Star?"

"Oh. Each Guardian has a star, it's made when they take their vows to Guardianship. My friend, Sky, found Cal's star."

"Sky's the... autumn spirit?"

"Summer."

"Summer." Mitchell nodded, sipping his beverage and inviting her to continue. Aliesha explained, toying with an electronic mixer, mildly distracted by plugs and plug sockets. "Whoa, time out. You punched this Pitch dude in the _face _and dropped a cement block on his head?"

"Well, not cement... just part of the wall. Bricks and brick-glue." Mitchell snorted.

"Brick-glue. I love that." Aliesha felt her cheeks redden, flicking the prongs on the plug. They lined up with the holes in the wall so she fit them in. She pressed the button on the mixer, but nothing happened. "Here." Mitchell took it gently from her, flicking a switch next to the plug. The warped blades on the mixer began to spin, blurring they were so fast.

"Cool! I should get one of these. You have to mix the cookie mix by hand, it's tiring." She waggled her arms to assist her point. Mitchell smiled, not so out of it now the coffee was working its magic. "Anyway, Cal was _awesome_, you should have seen it." She went on to describe the battle, imitating both her brother and Pitch's actions and expressions throughout it. Mitchell laughed a few times, but he may have accidentally roused his parents. His mother came down, irate.

"What are you doing? Do you know what _time_ it is? Is that a coffee?"

"Um... I decided I should become nocturnal." She rolled her eyes. This was clearly another Mitchell-esque thing.

"Who were you talking to then? Why were you laughing?"

"Whoa, hey, is this an interrogation? Go back to bed, Mum. The nocturnal life isn't for everyone." His mother sighed, shook her head, and left. They waited until her footsteps faded and a door closed. Mitchell lowered his voice to a whisper. "Hey. I'd like to meet your brother. Next time you come over, why don't you bring him too? Though, we probably should try and meet up without parents lurking around. I think this will be a bit hard to explain to them. They'll cart me off for sure."

"You should go on holiday and come visit us. You could see the Tooth Palace. And we can take you to the North Pole, maybe even the Warren. And you can meet everyone else!" She gasped excitedly. "How cool would that be? And you can take your mixer too."

"I don't think airport security would allow that."

"What security?"

"Airport."

"Planes." Aliesha remembered. "You should seriously get a pair of wings, they're amazing." She flexed her own. Mitchell examined them, smiling.

"I love your wings. Do you think your Moon Man can give me some?"

"My wings are one of a kind, buddy. Daughter of the Tooth Fairy and Jack Frost, remember? Wings and ice combined."

"I wonder what they'd look like with a fire design." He mused. "Oh! That reminds me! Back upstairs, I've got to show you something. Quietly though."

"They can't hear me. I'm invisible to them, remember?" He hummed, hopping over the bottom step and returning to his room. He set his coffee on the desk, rummaging through the drawers. He presented a sketch book to her.

"I'm not the best artist, but I tried."

"Oh, it's me! Kind of."

"I couldn't get the exact style of your feathers or the right colours, but I did my best. You don't think that's creepy, do you?" Aliesha shook her head. "Oh, thank god. My friend told me I was a psycho, drawing my _hallucinations_. And I drew some others too, I was just trying to work out what those other people you told me about looked like. Then again, I may have made the Easter Bunny a bit too fluffy and cuddly." Aliesha laughed upon seeing Bunny's portrait.

"Just a little." She agreed. "Bring this with you if you do come to us. You can update them. But can I keep this one?" She tapped her finger on the one with Bunny. "Dad can use this to wind him up."

"Excellent. Take it."

"Thank you!" She tore it free carefully and rolled it up. "I'll go and talk to Cal. We might bombard you in the early hours though. We've got to help our mum collect teeth."

"As long as I have a coffee in hand, I'll be fine. It was nice to see you again."

"And you." She smiled bashfully, starting her wings. "See you later." Mitchell saw her off, once again wishing he could fly. Aliesha was glad the cold night air washed over her face, it felt like it was on fire. _He was so lovely, it was unfair_! Why did he have to be mortal?


	19. Chapter 19

Aliesha returned, humming happily to herself, only to find Cal sat on his bed, more confused-looking than usual. She alighted and sat on the end of his bed. He blinked.

"What happened?" Aliesha asked, biting back a laugh at his preplexed expression.

"I... I think I got a girlfriend."

"I was only gone for two hours!"

"I was gone for two hours and came home to find I had a little sister! Big things can happen in two hours." Aliesha stuck her tongue out. Then she laced her fingers together under her chin, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Do tell."

"Uh... well, she just _kissed_ me and then left!"

"Who?"

"Sky!" Aliesha gasped, sitting bolt upright. "What?"

"It's about time!"

"What?"

"Oh, you're _clueless_! Look, take it from me, Sky has liked you for a long time. Although, I don't think she realised it until you went complete veggie. Sky and Cal sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Whoa, hey. There is no tree. I'm stumped."

"Ah. I see what you did there."

"Help me!" He hissed pleadingly. Aliesha folded her arms, a knowing look on her face. Cal pulled on his hair, mulling over his thoughts. "I'd never thought of her like _that_ until she kissed me and now she's disappeared and I'm really confused! What do I do, do I go after her? She left upset, I don't like seeing her upset, it makes me upset. Will going after her make things better or worse? She was really hot when she kissed me and by hot I mean too warm, but she is pretty and-" He stopped short. Aliesha looked at him expectantly. "I like Sky."

"And the penny drops!" He seemed amazed at this discovery, speechless. "Well, don't just sit there!" Alieshe scolded. "Go get her!" He startled, scrambling for his staff, tripping over his own feet before zig-zagging from the room. Aliesha smiled victoriously.

* * *

Sky was on her way to Bora Bora, wiping her eyes and sniffing. Oh, she had to be such an idiot, didn't she? It was the moment, she was so caught up in the moment, so happy to have her best friend back, that all sense had escaped her and she had kissed him! Why did she have to do that? He probably wouldn't talk to her ever again now, make snide remarks to the others, laugh about her behind her back.

"Sky!" There he was, she realised, flying towards her to add insult to injury. She turned and fled. "Will you stop?" His voice lost in the wind, he flew as fast he could, reaching out with his staff and hooking it about her waist, like his father did so often to his wife. He threw on the metaphorical brakes, dragging her to a halt too. "Moon and stars, you're fast." He panted. "No, don't go! Ooh, you're crying, no... No, don't cry, please don't cry, I'm sorry. This is my fault, I'm an idiot, my brain doesn't work properly, I'm really sorry, please don't go." Cal's fingers closed about her wrist, the other hand reaching up gently to wipe away her tears. "Oh, I didn't mean for this to happen, I'm just not very good with surprises. Do you want to try that one again?"

"W-what?" This time, _Cal _kissed _her. _He figured that would gain him a few extra brownie points, sweet and gentle, giving her the chance to pull away if so desired. But she didn't. His heart skipped a beat. "You... don't hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?"

"It was just the look you had after and... I guess I'm as much of an idiot as you are."

"Hey, no-one is more of an idiot than I am."

"You've got that right, you dolt."

"And there she is." Cal grinned, curling her fingers under her chin. "Let's make this official, yeah? I'll be your Frost if you'll be my little ray of sunshine."

"I will burn you."

"Yeah, about that." He looked down. Sky saw he was no longer flying, standing on a snow cloud instead. His eyes were tired and sluggish, but he managed a smile all the same.

"We're going to have to work on that."

"As long as you don't run away again, I can handle a little heat. Is that a no to pet names? Isn't that what couples do?" Sky shrugged. "Yeah, me either." He offered her his hand. Sky beamed and took it. "Aliesha was right. It's about time."


End file.
